Aftershock
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: The sequel to Quake. As the dust finally clears in their lives, Suna is hit with an aftershock full of confusion, betrayal, and love. -Rated for Sexual Content- Toshiro x Minako Note: An OC story
1. Training

**Here is a list of their ages just to help you out:**

**Toshiro - 11**

**Akito - 10**

**Satomi - 9**

**Natsumi - 9**

**Minako - 9**

**Shuhei - 1 1/2 **

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Training-

_**Two Years Later…**_

"Minako, quit pacing. It's getting on my nerves." Akito said, annoyed.

The ebony haired girl stopped and turned on her friend, pointing a finger at him. "I won't stop until I see Shiro-kun on the horizon. Dad said they would be here today, and it's already past lunch! What's taking them so long?" she whined. She was really excited to see how everyone had grown. She still looked the same, but her hair was a few inches longer, and she had gotten taller. Hanging from her neck was the necklace Toshiro had given her. She never took it off, even when training. Instead she would hide it underneath her clothes.

Akito was taller as well, having grown to be half a head taller than her. He still wore his usual navy blue shirt and beige shorts, but his hair was more unruly looking. "I bet they'll be here soon. Now knock it off."

"Make me." She said, crossing her arms and beginning to pace again, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I will." He lunged at her then, tackling her to the ground. They began to roll, Akito trying to get her to stop and Minako trying to get him off her. Just when he thought he had her pinned, one of her hands got free and she jabbed him in the shoulder with her gentle fist. Hissing in pain, he brought his hand up to try and sooth the wound.

She pushed him off her, and they both stood. "That's cheating, you can't use your moves like that." Akito said, glaring at her.

"There weren't any rules, so technically I wasn't cheating. You're just being a sore loser." She said in a snotty tone.

"Whatever." He said with a roll of his eyes. He turned towards the forest and resumed his watch. Not a minute later he felt something next to his head. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Minako's finger creeping close to his cheek. He smacked it out of the way as if it were a fly, earning him a hit on the back of his head.

He turned to her then, a glare on his face. Then he reached over and smacked her on the back of the head in return. This caused the two to begin hitting each other, oblivious of their surroundings.

It was then Minako felt a familiar chakra. Shoving Akito away from her, she ran out of the gates and up to her friends. "Shiro-kun!" she yelled, embracing the redhead in a fierce hug.

Toshiro went wide eyed, bracing himself for impact. He hugged Minako as she squeezed him tightly. "Hey Minako!" he laughed. He was even taller now, his red hair a bit longer.

The Kazekage cleared his throat and sighed, "I'll let you reacquaint yourselves. I have to go talk with Naruto." Gaara said, disappearing in a quick swirl.

His disappearance revealed two very different looking girls. "Whoa!" Minako pushed Toshiro away just as she had Akito. "I can tell you guys apart just by looking at you!"

They both blinked and smiled at their friend, their faces mirroring one another. They were a bit taller, but still pretty short. One had longer hair that was braided tightly and the other still had kept hers above her shoulders. The bangs were long to her chin, but the rest of her hair was much shorter than it had been the last time. "Okay so…" Minako pointed towards the long haired twin. "Satomi?" and then looked at the short haired one. "And Natsumi?"

They both shook their heads. "Nope! Wrong!" they laughed together.

She raised a brow in confusion. Their chakras were different…so shouldn't she be right? "What?"

Akito walked up then and grabbed the hand of the shorter haired twin. "This is Natsumi." He said, looking into her pale eyes.

Natsumi giggled, blushing a bit. "How could you tell?"

"I just can." He said simply. Then he let go of her hand and turned towards Toshiro. "Hey Toshiro." he asked, bumping fists with the redhead.

"Sup Akito," he crossed his arms then and laughed. "I can't believe you can tell them apart."

"I can't. I just know which one is Natsumi." He shrugged and then smirked. "So how's your kunai throwing skills?"

Natsumi huffed, "I've been practicing more than him!" she glared.

"How about we go and see, huh, Akito?" Toshiro said, running off with the Uchiha. Natsumi's jaw dropped and her face was red now with rage.

Satomi just stared after them and then at her sister. "I don't know what you were expecting. They're just idiotic boys."

Minako watched them run away and then turned back to her friends. "Do you guys want to meet my baby brother?" she asked excitedly.

"Ugh! How could he, I haven't seen him in two years! And he just ignores me!?" Natsumi continued to rant, pacing around now. Satomi watched her younger sister and then focused on her dark haired friend.

"I'd love to Minako."

The two began to head towards Minako's house, completely ignoring the furious Natsumi. They arrived at her house and went straight upstairs. Walking down the hall, they passed Minako's room and stopped at the one across from it. Minako opened the door and peered in. Seeing her mother rocking her brother, she walked in, Satomi following.

"Is he awake mommy?" Minako asked softly, not wanting to disturb him if he was.

"Yes dear, he's just waking up from his nap." Hinata said, looking up at her daughter. She smiled when she saw Satomi. "Hello Satomi how was the trip over?" she asked politely.

"Hi Aunt Hinata, it was alright." She said, going beside the woman and staring down at the child. "So this is the boy that my little sister is going to marry?"

Hinata looked at the girl in surprise. She didn't think Sakura would have said anything. Oh well, at least now she didn't have to feel guilty about telling Minako. "Yes, if things work out and your father agrees. His name is Shuhei." She said, smiling tenderly at her son. He was a mirror image of his father, except for his eyes. They were a crystalline blue, lighter than Naruto's, but darker than hers.

The little boy looked over at the newcomer and smiled, reaching up a hand to play with her bright hair. Minako giggled. "I think he likes you Satomi-chan."

Satomi actually smiled, poking his cheek and letting him grip her fingers. "He's cute. I like him a lot better than my little sister." She said, looking more closely at the little boy. The baby laughed and shied away from her finger, swinging his arms a bit.

"What makes you say that?" Minako asked, reaching up and tickling her brother, causing him to start laughing again.

"My sister's already mean. She pulls on mine and Natsumi's hair and she totally hates Toshiro, she always cries when he tries to play with her. She only likes my mom and dad, and she's either screaming or yelling." Satomi sighed, just thinking about her sister annoyed her. "I guess she's really cute though, but I dunno…"

"Oh. My brother always laughs and smiles at everything. And he loves to be played with." Minako said, allowing her brother to grip her finger. His light blue eyes looked from his sister to the new girl curiously.

Satomi shrugged and pulled her hand away then. "She's got red hair like my dad but her eyes are like bright emeralds. It's kinda unfair. She's the only one who got my mom's eyes."

"I think your eyes are pretty Satomi-chan." Minako said, pulling her finger away with a bit of difficulty then. She looked at her friend then. "Do you wanna go play something? I don't know how late our daddies are gonna be."

"We should go pick some flowers," the pink haired girl smiled, having one of her very few kinder moments. "I learned how to make flower crowns from Ino, we should make them for everyone."

"That sounds like a great idea! There's even a place we can pick them without having to leave the village!" Minako exclaimed, remembering what had happened the last time they had gone to a field of flowers. "Can we go mommy?" Minako asked, giving Hinata a pleading look.

"Of course sweetie. Just make sure you're back here for dinner." Hinata said, helping her son sit up so that they could play.

"Yes ma'am." Minako said, turning to leave the room.

Satomi followed and waved to her aunt, "Bye."

* * *

Natsumi collapsed to the ground, sweat covering her forehead. "Wow, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be." She gasped out. Neji paced in front of her, his hands behind his back.

"You're doing well, this technique you're trying to develop is interesting." He said with a sharp nod. "I know your father brought Toshiro and Satomi here so they could train with Tsunade while your mother is tending to Yuki, but what are you aiming for?"

A dark blush covered her face, "Well…my mom told me that Uchihas are all about strength…"

The brunette lifted a hand to silence her, "I understand. Akito right?"

"Yeah," she nodded and sighed. "It's not just that though…my brother and sister are both so strong. I don't have that kind of physical prowess…so I'm going to have my own power and develop my own fighting, not like my mom or my dad's."

"What is going to be your trump then?" he asked, stopping in his place and looking down at her.

Her gaze hardened as she forced herself up, "Speed. I'm going to be a long range and short range fighter. I have to be different than them."

He nodded once more and pat her head. "Alright then. Tomorrow come back here and we will continue your training and study of the gentle fist. And if you're going to focus on natural speed, I would go see Lee."

"Thank you Neji-sensei!" she smiled, nodded, and bowed respectfully before dashing off. She passed Tenten, who was holding her two year old boy.

"Hi Tenten! Hi little Ryo," Natsumi smiled, kissing the little boy before running off.

"Bye Natsumi! See you tomorrow!" Tenten yelled after the girl and then nuzzled her sweet son.

Before leaving the Hyuuga estate she took an offered towel and made sure she didn't look awful. Once she was presentable she looked around the streets, wondering which way was the correct path to the Uchiha prefecture. She had only been there once and it had been nearly two years ago. Deciding that the rooftops would be her best bet, she disappeared with her sand and began her search.

* * *

"Gah! You won again." Toshiro growled, crossing his arms in annoyance. "I don't understand, I practiced!"

"Yeah, but I learned new stuff and you haven't. Don't worry though, I can teach you tomorrow." Akito said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Awesome," the redhead smiled and sighed. "I think I'm done for the day. I have to go train with Grandma Tsunade. My mom said I'm slacking off since she's been taking care of Yuki."

"Okay, just come by whenever. My dad's on a mission, so I'll probably be here, unless Minako drags me out." He said, grimacing at the idea of having to socialize and all that girl stuff.

He nodded and headed out, "See you later then." And then he was gone.

Akito let out a sigh and put his kunai away. Then he took his shirt off and wiped his brow once again. He wrapped his hands in cloth, and began a series of taijutsu exercises.

* * *

Natsumi dropped down from the roof and looked up at the large estate. "Finally." She sighed, and walked into the gates. There was no one anywhere, "Hello?" she called, waiting for a reply that never came. "Sasuke-sama? Akito!"

She huffed, where were they? Making her way through the house, she peeked around the corner once she heard something. She felt the heat radiating from her cheeks at the sight. Akito was training without a shirt on. She shrunk back, swallowing hard. She'd never seen a boy without a shirt on that wasn't related to her.

He paused momentarily, but continued with the set he had started. He had felt Natsumi's chakra briefly, which meant that she was here and trying not to be detected. Possibly watching him. He smirked to himself. Well, if she was going to watch him, then he might as well give her a show. So he began a set of more complicated moves, adding in a few fancy flips for effect.

"Oh wow." She whispered to herself. He was much better then when she had seen him last, and he was already pretty good to begin with.

He formed a few seals, three shadow clones appearing next to him. They surrounded him then, and he began to spar with himself. Just a little longer, and he would be done.

She pressed her back against the wall and tried to still her pounding heart. She felt like such a creeper, just watching him spar. Her blush darkened as she thought about it. She turned and tried to get one last look, letting out a startled scream. "Akito!" she gasped, now face to face with him.

He smirked at her and crossed his arms. Raising a brow, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"N-nothing!" she yelled, and then covered her mouth with her hands. "I mean, I was just looking for you. I swear I just got here!" she couldn't help but look down. Her face was as red as a cherry now.

He leaned closer to her, his smirk widening. "Really? I could have sworn you've been here for a while."

Her eyes widened, "Um…no?"

"No? Are you sure?"

"No…" she looked down, she felt bad for lying now. But he would be freaked out and think she was some stalker fan girl. And she was _not_ a fan girl.

He straightened then, satisfied with her answer. He walked back to his stuff and picked up his shirt, throwing it over his shoulder. Walking back over to her he stopped and held out his hand. She blinked and stared at his hand for a second, placing hers in his.

He led her into his house and went into the kitchen. Getting himself a glass of ice water, he turned to her and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Um…yeah water's fine if that's alright." She smiled, still trying to calm her racing heart.

He handed her the glass he had made for himself and got another one out. Once the glass was full he took a long drink, draining its contents. He re-filled the glass and took another sip, turning towards her in the process. "So why did you come over? Did you miss me already?" he asked with a smirk.

She choked on the water she happened to be drinking and covered her mouth with her wrist to avoid further embarrassment. After she had swallowed she took a deep breath, it was time to redeem herself. "Don't flatter yourself," she said as confidently as she could. "I just came to…" she looked around and grabbed a wooden spoon that happened to be on the table. "To borrow this."

He raised a brow at her and crossed his arms. "My wooden spoon? How did you even know I had one? You're not stalking me are you?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"What? No! I was just…" her face was red again. "Yeah okay…you just ignored me earlier and it made me upset that you wanted to hang out with my brother instead of me."

The smirk fell off his face then. "If you wanted to hang out then all you had to do was ask." He said seriously.

She huffed and glared at him, "Well you already ran off when I was trying to talk to you!"

He looked dumbfounded. "Oh. I'm sorry, I…didn't realize…"

"I mean, I _know_ my brother is cooler than me and I'm younger than you, but I wanted to see you too, and it's a little irritating cause' you want to train with Toshiro, and Minako wants to see Toshiro and I dunno! It's just infuriating!" she yelled out, tears forming in her eyes now.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he said, holding his hands up to get her to stop. "I never said I thought Toshiro was cooler than you. It's just that he's really my only guy friend, and when you guys aren't here I'm stuck playing with Minako…or training." He said softly. "But, if you want to hang out or something then I can cut my training with Toshiro short tomorrow." He offered, trying to prevent the tears from falling.

She gave him a skeptical look. She sniffed, trying her best not to cry. "I don't want you to do that if it's just to make me stop crying."

"No, I want to." He said, walking over to her. "Because…I did miss you." He muttered, cheeks turning pink from his admission.

She was wide eyed, staring up at him in disbelief. "You did?"

"Yeah." He admitted, looking at the ground, blush darkening.

Her arms looped through his and tightened around his waist. "I missed you so much Akito!" she smiled, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I was so excited when I found out we were coming back, I knew I'd get to see you."

He hugged her back, laying his head on hers. "Well of course you'd get to see me squirt. I wouldn't let you leave the village otherwise." He said with a smile.

She laughed, tightening her hug. She had missed him so much, and he was even cuter than he was two years ago. She opened her eyed and gasped, "Minako!"

The dark haired girl stared wide eyed at the sight, "Um…what are you guys doing?" she asked, looking between the two.

Akito looked at the expression on her face and felt guilty. "We…were just getting some water." He said lamely.

"That's not what it looks like…" she trailed off, fiddling with the crown she had made for him.

Natsumi nodded, looking at their joined bodies and slowly pulling her arms away from him. "Y-yeah. We were just getting some water, cause he was so hot…I mean _it_ was so hot!" she didn't know why she was so ashamed. Why did she have to watch out for Minako's feelings? Why did she get Toshiro _and _Akito?

Her sheepish look vanished and was replaced with a look of determination. She was tempted to just tell Minako she couldn't have Akito because she was already promised to her brother. But she knew she'd get in so much trouble if she did. She crossed her arms and looked at Akito. It was his decision after all.

Uncomfortable with the situation, Akito looked between the girls, a blush on his face from what Natsumi had said. Seeing what Minako was holding, he decided to change the subject. "What's that?" he asked, slightly curious.

She looked down at the flowers in her hands and blushed lightly. "Oh…Satomi-chan taught me how to make flower crowns, so I decided to make you one." She said, holding it out to him.

He took it from her and gave it a doubtful look. "It's a little girly though…" he trailed off, examining it.

Minako's lip began to quiver. "But you still wear the bracelet Natsumi-chan made for you! And it's pink!" she accused, pointing to his wrist.

Guilt filled him then. It was true, he never took the bracelet off. _Never_. So, with a reluctant sigh, he put the crown of blue flowers on his head. Looking at Minako he asked, "How does it look?"

"I think it looks stupid." Natsumi said angrily, crossing her arms. Though her face was red from the fact that he was still wearing the small token she made him. Her heart had skipped a beat when she looked at his wrist and saw it.

Minako giggled. "Yeah it really does Akito-kun, I'm surprised you put it on."

"You are so dead." He threatened, ripping the crown off his head and placing it on the table. He lunged at the ebony haired girl then, causing her to squeal and run away. He chased her out of the kitchen and into the living room, tackling her to the ground.

When she looked up she screamed again. Akito had a huge spit wad dangling from his mouth, and it was getting closer to her face. "Akito-kun stop it!" she squealed, squirming beneath him. He leaned closer to her, letting the spit get lower. "Natsumi-chan save me!" she pleaded, not wanting his spit to touch her.

All they heard was the loud slam of a door. Natsumi ran down the empty streets of the Uchiha prefecture, trying her best not to cry. Sometimes she really hated Minako. When she rounded the corner she slammed into a hard body and gasped. "I'm so sorry," she sputtered out.

Gaara stared down at her. The tears spilled from her eyes now, "Daddy!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him. He blinked, picking her up, a concerned look on his face.

"I was looking for you Natsumi, are you alright?" he said simply, letting her cry on his shoulder. She said nothing, and the redhead wasn't one for prying into his children's business. When and if she wanted to talk about it, she would. "Come on, let's go get something to eat." He told her as his sand picked up and took them away to find Satomi.


	2. Chuunin Exams Part I

**Toshiro - 14**

**Akito - 13**

**Satomi - 12**

**Natsumi - 12**

**Yuki - 5**

**Minako - 12**

**Shuhei - 5**

**Ken (Lee's Son) - 13**

**Kumori (Temari/Shikamaru's Son) - 13**

**Kallen (Temari/Shikamaru's Daughter) - 4**

**Yuri (Ino/Kiba's Daughter) - 4**

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Chuunin Exams (Part I)-

_**Three Years Later…**_

Three shadows dashed through the trees followed by nine others. Dark jade eyes focused ahead, two pink haired girls on either side of him. "Hey Toshiro," Natsumi jumped ahead, keeping pace with him. "How about a race?" she arched her brow. Her hair was only a little bit longer, because she liked to keep it short and out of the way.

"No way Natsumi, I'm not stupid." He said simply.

She gave him a pout, "Come on. What? You scared?" she snickered, getting a glare in return.

"I am _not_ scared." He said. Satomi rolled her eyes, her siblings were so predictable.

Suddenly they could hear wailing, so the three glanced back to see their five year old sister screaming her lungs off from their mother's back. Sakura looked worn, no doubt from the constant noise going into her ear. Gaara came beside her and took the girl, trying to calm her down, but the blare did not cease.

"Okay." Toshiro said, locking gazes with his sister. "You're on." And with that they took off.

They weren't too far from Konoha now, and with an increased speed Natsumi took the lead and jumped from the treetops, landing gracefully on her feet in front of the gates. "Haha! I win again." About a minute later Toshiro was beside her, glaring slightly.

He dusted off his long black sleeves. He wore a simple black, long sleeved shirt, with black pants. Nothing but a gourd on his back and a kunai holster on his right thigh.

Natsumi scoffed, giving him a skeptical look, "Don't be so angry." She told him, running her fingers through her messed up hair. Her outfit was much different than anything she had worn before. Her ninja shoes were similar to her mother's, almost to her knees. Her shirt only went down to the top of her stomach, exposing her midriff. It was red and similar to what her mother had worn in her genin years. The bottom was a simple matching red skirt with slits all the way up to the top, and underneath she had a pair of black biker shorts for easy movement. The entire outfit was rimmed with thin black.

"I'm not angry. It's just stupid." He said, looking away as to not show the disappointment on his face. Satomi was next to them then, crossing her arms over her chest. Her top looked similar to Tsunade's, only black and red, with matching black capris.

Finally the rest of the group arrived. Gaara and Sakura holding their daughter Yuki, whose green eyes seemed more vibrant than Sakura's from her tears. Temari landed next to her brother, followed by Shikamaru, who was holding their youngest child, Kallen. She was blonde and small, about four years old, nearly a spitting image of her mother.

Kumori, Temari and Shikamaru's oldest son, made his way leisurely towards them, followed by his two teammates. Sora laughed loudly, "Well look there! Finally I get to see Konoha!" the brunette snickered, rubbing his hands together. "I hear there are lots of hotties here."

The sandy brown haired girl beside him smacked the boy over the head, "Pervert." She rolled her eyes and walked past him.

"Hey! Yoii! That hurt!" he yelled after her.

"Whatever."

Ino came beside Sakura, Kiba following closely with their pale blonde four year old girl. "Ah, Konoha. Long time no see." He smiled.

Gaara sighed, he really hated coming to this stupid village. "Alright. Kids," he called getting the attention of his three and the other three Suna genin. Kiba and Ino went in, already knowing where to go. They were off to visit family.

"You behave now Kumori," Temari waved, dragging Shikamaru off to see her in-laws.

The Kazekage cleared his throat and crossed his arms, "You better make Suna proud. These exams are for us to show our prowess and you _will_ show it. Understand?"

They all nodded, "Don't worry dad. We won't lose." Natsumi smirked. Satomi and Toshiro mimicked their sister, crossing their arms with assurance.

"Try not to make a scene…" he told them, taking Sakura's hand and leading her and their youngest towards the hotel they would be staying at. "Behave." He called over his shoulder.

Kumori sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. He looked so much like his father, but harder features from his mother. "What a drag." He looked to his cousins and walked off.

"Wait up Kumori!" Sora jogged after him. Yoii rolled her eyes once more, following despite her displeasure.

The three looked at one another. Toshiro glanced around a bit surprised, "I wonder where Minako is?"

Suddenly a loud explosion sounded from the area where the Uchiha District was located, a large cloud of smoke rising from it.

They all looked over, "What the heck?" Natsumi blinked.

"Nothing here surprises me anymore." Satomi said simply.

Suddenly Natsumi took off, making both her siblings go wide eyed. "Whoa. What's going on?" Toshiro asked. Without a reply Satomi began to follow, Toshiro soon after. Natsumi was the more psychic one, so she usually knew something was happening and where to be.

It took the pink haired girl no time to arrive at the prefecture. She launched up and dashed across the roofs, landing down in Sasuke and Akito's backyard. The smoke cleared, revealing Akito, Minako, and some other boy with bushy eyebrows. "Akito-kun you idiot!" Minako yelled, hitting him on the arm.

"Hn. How was I supposed to know that would happen? It's not like the scroll had instructions on it." He replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh, I don't know. So the fact that it said 'Do not open or suffer the consequences' wasn't good enough for you?" she asked sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips.

"Now, now team, let's not ruin the joys of youth with this small squabble." The boy said.

"Shut up Ken, before I take away your youth for good." Akito said, brushing off his white shirt. Along with that he wore black pants, his ninja shoes going up to right below his knees. On his arms he wore wrist guards that went all the way up to his elbows. A kunai holster was on his right leg, and another one lower on the outside of his boot.

"Don't be mean to him Akito-kun, it's not his fault you can't read." Minako said, examining her clothes to make sure everything was still in one piece. She wore a skin tight black long sleeved shirt and a loose black skirt with black leggings that went all the way down her legs. On her feet she wore standard ninja shoes.

The other boy ran up to Minako and flung his arms around her. "You are so brilliant Minako-chan! That is why I love you!" he declared, stars in his eyes. Akito grabbed him by the back of his green shirt and pulled him off the frozen girl, lifting him off the ground in the process. "What have I told you about touching people without permission?" Akito asked seriously.

"Fine, fine. But youth waits for no man!" Ken said, pointing a finger in the air.

At this point Akito sensed another presence in his backyard. He turned, dark green eyes widening. He dropped the boy then and stepped forward slightly. "Natsumi?" he asked, not sure if he was seeing things correctly.

She locked eyes with the Uchiha and felt a small blush creep up her cheeks. "Hi Akito."

"Wow, you look…different. In a good way I mean." He said, blushing, running his hand through his hair, which was a bit longer than the last time she had seen him.

"Um thanks," she smiled awkwardly. "That's kinda what happens when people get older. You look nice too by the way…" she mumbled, feeling her blush intensify.

The gate to the backyard opened and Toshiro and Satomi walked in, the difference between the twins was only growing over the years, since Satomi's pink braid came halfway down her back. "Hey Akito." Toshiro gave the boy a smile. "Dang, you got tall!" he laughed.

Natsumi tried not to feel so aggravated by her sibling's arrival. She kept her eyes on Akito for a while, before giving Minako a wave. Minako returned her friend's wave and then turned to face Toshiro. "Hi Shiro-kun." She said softly. She blushed at the way he had changed over the years. She wondered if he would notice how she had changed as well.

Before anything more could be said Ken ran over to Satomi. "Wow! You're so pretty!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hand. Then he ran over to Natsumi and grabbed her hand as well. "But you…you're the most beautiful creature I have ever seen in my life!"

He turned and looked at Minako, running over to her and grabbing her hand, dragging Natsumi with him. "I mean, you're beautiful too Minako-chan don't get me wrong. But it's in a cute, adorable way. She is just exotic!" he declared, looking back at Natsumi.

Akito glared at his teammate, his fist clenching in anger. Natsumi blinked, looking away from the odd guy. "Um…thank you?"

Satomi looked pissed, her hard glare set on the boy dressed in green. How was Natsumi prettier than her? They were identical twins. Her eye twitched angrily.

Toshiro arched a brow, "Who are you?" he said, directing a glare at the boy. He didn't disagree that Minako was extremely cute, but he couldn't understand why he was so bothered by the statement.

"Oh my name is Ken, I'm Rock Lee's son." He said, and then he dismissed the redhead, turning back to Natsumi. "I would really like to take you out to dinner, in fact, why don't you both join me?" he asked perking up.

Akito walked over and placed his hand on Ken's shoulder, squeezing really hard and causing the boy to wince in pain. "Keep touching Natsumi and see what happens." He threatened, a dark look in his eyes.

Ken let go of Natsumi's hand, immediately understanding. "I see." Then he turned to Minako. "Well, it makes sense for me to stay with you Minako-chan, since we live in the same village, and Akito doesn't threaten my life when I touch you."

Natsumi stared after him, a bit flabbergasted. She glanced down then and realized she had attached herself to Akito. Toshiro huffed and walked over to Minako and Ken. "He won't, but I will." He glared, pulling Minako out of his grasp and becoming the barrier between the two.

Minako blushed at his words, stepping forward so that she was barely touching his back. Ken's eyes widened. "Oh so you like Minako-chan as well?" he asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"As well?" Toshiro asked, a bit confused. He reached his hand back and took her hand, just so he would know she was there and out of this weirdo's grasp.

"Yeah. You are in love with Minako-chan just as I am." He said, unabashed.

By now everyone was staring at the redhead, whose face matched the color of his hair. "I'm not in love with Minako." He said defensively.

Her breath hitched a bit. His words hurt her for some reason, and she didn't know why. Ken gave Toshiro a confused look. "If you do not love her, then you have no claim over her." He said, trying to reach behind the other boy to take Minako's hand again.

Akito pulled Natsumi to him defensively, in case Ken changed his mind and tried to go for her again. She looked up at him, enjoying his embrace for whatever reason it was he was being so defensive. Toshiro backed away, giving Minako's hand a tight squeeze. "Look, if you don't want to die, you'll stop trying to touch her."

"Ken, stop. We need three members for the exam and if Toshiro kills you, which he _will_, we won't be able to enter. And if that happens, _I_ will bring you back from the dead to kill you myself." Akito threatened.

"You people do not know how to embrace the power of youth!" he declared, tears coming to his eyes.

"Shut up." Akito said. Then he looked down at Natsumi. "I'm sorry about him, he's always been that way. I hope he didn't freak you out too much." He said, giving her a small smile.

She smiled brightly at him, stealing more of his warmth. "No it's okay, at first it was a bit alarming but at least you're here."

Satomi rolled her eyes and decided to leave now, since she hated most of the people here.

Minako walked in front of Toshiro then, wanting to get a better look at how he had changed. She looked at their joined hands and blushed. "You didn't have to do that Shiro-kun. Ken has always been a bit enthusiastic about life." She said.

"I don't care." He said a bit harshly, looking down at her. "It makes me uncomfortable when he touches you and proclaims his weird love." He finally got a good look at her and she could see his eyes trailing down and then returning. "Wow…you look really good Minako."

Her blush darkened then. "T-thank you Shiro-kun. You don't look too bad either. I even have to tilt my head back farther so I can look into your face." She said with a smile.

He shrugged, "Well you've seen my dad. I have tall genes." He smiled.

Akito laughed then, "Hey if you've got tall genes how come Natsumi is such a squirt?"

The pink haired girl glared up at him, hitting him playfully in the chest. "You're still a meanie," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

He leaned down closer to her and smirked. "And what are you gonna do about it?" he teased, raising a brow.

She couldn't help but blush, "Well…" she smirked then, standing taller so their faces were closer. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually, I would." He said, meeting her challenge by leaning closer so that their noses were almost touching.

"Okay, okay." Toshiro said, pushing the two apart. "How about you two just calm it down a little." He gave Akito a bit of a threatening look, it was his sister after all. Minako let out a deep breath, not wanting to let on that she was glad Toshiro had ceased their actions.

Ken stood there, mouth agape. "So that's why you don't want me to have the exotic beauty!" he exclaimed. "It's because you have already claimed her!"

Before he could say anything else Akito hit him on the head, effectively knocking him out. "Idiot." He muttered, watching as his teammate hit the ground.

Natsumi was beet red now, tugging nervously at her gloves once more. Toshiro crossed his arms and gave his friend a look. "You claimed my sister?"

"Don't listen to him, he's crazy." Akito said, crossing his arms defensively. "Besides, he thinks you're in love with Minako. Are you saying that's true?" Akito asked, raising a brow.

"Hey, I just…no, I mean love is just…" he stopped, becoming tongue tied. _Crap_, he thought angrily.

The pink haired girl crossed her arms and looked over at Akito. "So…you're saying there's nothing between us?"

Minako mimicked her friend and glared at Toshiro. "And you're saying that you don't care about me?"

"No, Minako! That's not what I was saying!" the redhead waved his hands in front of his face, trying to dismiss the accusation. "You are very important to me and you're very, very pretty!" he gulped, hoping this would suffice.

Natsumi kept her glare on Akito, tapping her foot impatiently. "Uh…" he said dumbly, not really sure what kind of an answer she was looking for. "No, of course there's something between us Natsumi. I mean, we're friends…and stuff…and you're pretty too!" he said, stealing the last part from Toshiro, knowing that Natsumi liked to be complimented.

Her eye twitched and she looked over at Minako. "You want to go get something to eat Minako?" she asked setting her hands on her hips in a very Sakura-like fashion.

"Yes, the present company is getting on my nerves." She replied, sending Toshiro a small glare. Then she turned and leapt off into the trees bordering Akito's backyard.

Natsumi followed, leaving the two idiots to themselves. Toshiro scratched his head, wondering what they had done wrong. "I think we were just dumped." He said, looking over to his best friend.

Akito held up a finger. "No, getting dumped would require us actually being with them. Last time I checked, we were just in some kind of weird friendship."

"Then how come it still feels like that?" he arched a brow.

"I'm not sure." The Uchiha sighed. Then he turned to his friend. "Want to spar? We don't have to be at the meeting place for the first test until tomorrow." He said. He would rather focus on something tangible like training, than girls and their weird emotions.

Toshiro shrugged, "Sure. Let's go find a training field." And the two left, looking for an empty training field to destroy, completely forgetting about the unconscious Ken.

* * *

Minako took her seat in the large room, looking around curiously. She didn't even know this room existed at the Academy before. She was seated next to someone she didn't know, Akito having been put two rows in front of her and Ken somewhere in the back.

She found Natsumi, who was seated next to Akito, and glared, slightly jealous. Why did she always get to be close to the boy she liked?! Satomi was over by the window, and she couldn't see Toshiro, which only meant that he was seated somewhere behind her, so she wouldn't even get the pleasure of staring at him. Life was so unfair sometimes.

A man walked in then, a large scar across his face and a bandana covering the rest of his head. When he stopped in front of the room everyone became silent. "Hello, my name is Morino Ibiki, and I will be your instructor for the first part of the exam." He began, and then he looked around, assessing everyone.

"You will each be handed a piece of paper with nine questions on it. Answer them to the best of your abilities. Each question is worth one point. You need at least twenty-five in order to continue to the next round. The tenth question will be given to you in an hour's time." He explained. "Any questions?"

When nobody answered he continued. "As the Chuunin you see around the room hand out the papers, I will explain the rules. Absolutely no cheating. If you are caught cheating your entire team is disqualified, and you will have to wait for the next Chuunin Exam." He said, glaring at them. When he saw that everyone had their papers, he nodded his head. "Begin."

Minako looked at her paper and went wide-eyed. Sure, she could answer some of these questions, but most of them were things only a Chuunin or a Jounin would know. It was then she realized that she would _have_ to cheat. Luckily for her she had the byakugan.

She formed the proper hand sign and activated her kekkei genkai. Without needing to look up, she began to copy down the other ninja's answers. She only hoped that the rest of her team caught on to what was really going on. She knew Akito would, but she wasn't too sure about Ken. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

Akito looked at his paper and let out a silent sigh. He was right, cheating was a must. Otherwise there wouldn't have been that much emphasis on it. He activated his sharingan and began to watch the person's hand in front of him, copying their hand movements without looking at his paper.

Natsumi looked down and studied the questions for a moment. She smirked deviously, _Easy_. First she started with the ones she knew. Since Suna Genin started the academy much earlier than Konoha did, she was already one step ahead of the game. Not to mention her father was the Kazekage and she and her siblings were held on a higher level despite their youth. By the time she couldn't answer anymore of the questions she only had three left. Toshiro and Satomi probably had the other answers she didn't, so she placed two fingers on her left eye and concentrated. Her sand swirled together, forming a small eye that then dispersed and crawled over to her brother. She had been right, he had one of the answers she needed. She copied it down quickly and then moved to Satomi.

Meanwhile Toshiro was doing the same. Natsumi was the smartest of the three, and he knew she would have most of the answers so he started with her. Satomi would just have to wait until one of them was done so they could copy the answers onto her paper.

The test had been going on for a while now and Natsumi had flipped her test over so no one could see her answers. She looked around, noticing only a few other people done. Slowly she let her sand cover his sister's hand in a similar manner as her sand armor and began writing the answers for her. This was just too easy.

Akito smirked when he realized what Natsumi was doing. He had always thought she was smart, and was glad that it was true. He flipped his paper over so that no one else would see it and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms and getting comfortable.

After about thirty minutes, Ibiki halted everyone. By now about a third of the people were gone, having been caught cheating. Ibiki counted the numbers in his head and sighed. This next question should get rid of half of them at least.

"Now for the tenth and final question. Before I give it to you however, I will make one thing clear. Should you answer this question wrong, not only is your entire team disqualified, but you will all be unable to take the Chuunin Exams ever again, forever remaining a Genin. If anyone wants to leave the room right now and come back next time, we will not blame you." He said, looking around and watching everyone's faces.

A few people got up, sending apologetic looks to their teams. Now there were even less, but still a substantial amount. "Will you just ask the stupid question already?" Satomi glared. She was impatient, just like her dad, and the guy beside her was starting to freak her out.

Ibiki ignored her. "I will ask one last time. Are you sure you want me to continue? If you fail, your team will go down with you. Do you want that on your conscience?" he asked, raising a brow.

Satomi's eye twitched and her pencil snapped easily in her hands. Now she was really pissed. She wasn't afraid of this brute. Natsumi paled, her sister was probably going to murder their exam director. No one else got up, so the elder twin decided to speak up once more. "Get on with it," she glared threateningly.

Ibiki glared back, daring her to say another word. "Look, I am not intimidated by you little girl. I don't care if your daddy is the Kazekage and your mother is Tsunade's student. Be quiet and let me finish!" he demanded and then turned back to the class. "Now…for those of you who have risked your futures and those of your teammates…congratulations. You pass, there is no tenth question." The room was silent then.

"What?!" Sora slammed his hands on the desk with a huff. "That's so stupid! What was the point of that?!"

Ibiki just laughed, crossing his arms. "I just like to mess with you punks. Alright, you are dismissed. The next exam is in two days. You will each receive instructions on where to go later." He waved his hand and then left the room. Everyone started moving then, Satomi punched the desk angrily and then got up, leaving without even bothering to wait for her brother and sister.

Natsumi stood and looked up at Akito, who was twirling a kunai around in his hand. "Hey Akito…I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go get something to eat." She asked, swallowing as she tried to wet her dry throat. He looked down at her and smiled, but before he could say anything Minako was by his side.

"Hey guys! What's up?" she asked, letting her eyes shift from her teammate to her friend.

Natsumi suppressed a growl. She really hated Minako's awful timing. "Well I was just asking Akito here if _he_ wanted to go get something to eat. Since I'm starving," she said simply, returning her gaze to the boy between them.

"Oh! I'm starving too! Why don't we all go?" she smiled, setting her hand on Akito's shoulder.

The pink haired girl did everything in her power to stop herself from strangling her friend. Why did she always do this? Get all touchy feely with Akito whenever she wanted to do something with him. Catching a flash of red with her peripherals, she reached behind her and latched onto her brother's shirt. She dragged him to her side and plastered on a smile. "How about you go get something with Toshiro?" she said, pointing at her brother for emphasis. He obviously had no idea what was going on.

"Um. Okay?" Toshiro looked over at Minako. "I'm hungry, you want something?" he asked getting the dark haired girl's attention.

"Yeah, I'd like that Shiro-kun." she giggled, temporarily distracted.

Natsumi sighed with relief, glad she had gotten what she wanted until, "Hey why don't we all go? We can all hang out." Toshiro said wisely.

"No!" Natsumi yelled, before she could control her reaction. The other three stared at her and she tried to play it off. She laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, come on…we don't want a crowd and…you guys haven't seen each other in a long time. I don't want to ruin that."

"I don't mind," Toshiro shrugged, looking over at Minako. "What about you?"

She shook her head, watching Natsumi and then Akito carefully. "No I think it's a great idea."

This time Natsumi couldn't stop the small groan that escaped her lips. "Whatever." She looked off, crossing her arms then.

They went to a local restaurant that served various foods. Akito walked over to their table and pulled a chair out. "Here you go Natsumi." He said, ever the gentlemen.

She smiled at him, sending a look Minako's way. "Thanks Akito." She said, sitting down. Then he sat next to her.

Toshiro, not wanting to be shown up by his friend, did the same for Minako. She sat down gracefully, glaring at the raven haired boy across from her. Why did he always do nice things for Natsumi and not her?!

The waiter came by then and took their orders. Not one for silence, Minako spoke up. "So Shiro-kun, do I get to meet Yuki this trip?" she asked, having never met the youngest of the Sabaku siblings.

"Yeah I suppose. Although I'm not sure why you'd want to. She isn't very nice for a little girl." The redhead stated, giving Minako a skeptical look.

"But I love kids! Shuhei is just so cute, all the time!" Minako exclaimed, smiling fondly at the thought of her little brother. She just adored him.

Shortly after this their food arrived and they began to eat. Swallowing her noodles, Minako looked across the table at Akito. "So Akito-kun, when do you want to spar tomorrow?"

"Well actually," Natsumi began, looking at the Uchiha beside her and smiling. "I was hoping you and I could hang out tomorrow Akito. I mean, it's been three years since I last saw you."

He looked between his two friends, torn. On one hand, he did want to see Natsumi. But on the other hand, he wanted to practice a bit before the second test, and Minako was his favorite sparring partner whenever Toshiro wasn't there.

"Uh…well actually Toshiro wanted to practice with me a bit tomorrow. Right Toshiro?" he asked, looking to his friend.

The redhead looked up, slurping his noodles slowly. "Huh? Oh yeah. Sure, why not." He shrugged, taking a sip of his water then.

Natsumi glared hatefully at her brother, sometimes he was just so ignorant. "Fine." Natsumi leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms stubbornly.

Minako stabbed at her noodles with her chopsticks. Things just never went her way. Then a devilish smirk came across her face as she got an idea. "I guess I'll just have to see if Ken is free tomorrow. He's wanted to train with me one on one for a while now anyways. He said he had some things he wanted to teach me." She said nonchalantly, taking another bite of noodles.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." Akito said with a shrug. He really didn't care, as long as he was out of the hot seat, things were just fine.

Toshiro had been slurping up another mouthful of noodles as she said this, and they went down a bit too fast from his shock. He choked and began coughing, causing Minako to gasp and start hitting his back to try and help. Natsumi stood, leaning over the table to make sure her brother was alright. When she slammed her hand on the table her glass toppled over and spilled. She yelled, blushing a light pink as she tried to clean it up with her napkin.

Akito picked up his now wet hand and started to dry it. "Oh Akito! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to." She bit down on her lip, feeling like a total idiot.

Once Toshiro was finally alright the only thing that came from his mouth between pants was, "You're going to be _alone_ with that freak?!"

Minako crossed her arms and raised a brow. "Well I would like to get in some training too before the next test. And it only makes sense to do it with a teammate. Since you and Akito-kun will be training tomorrow, I am only left with Ken to train with."

"I forbid it!" he glared, then stopped and felt a bit foolish for being so protective. "How about I train with you? Then you can get some experience fighting against someone with a completely different fighting style."

Well, it wasn't really the reaction she had wanted, but she supposed it would have to do. It had been a while since she had seen him, and if they were sparring, they would be close. Sort of. She smiled at him, not disappointed anymore in not getting to spend time with Akito. "Okay Shiro-kun! If you insist." Then she resumed eating her noodles.

Akito had just finished drying the table from where Natsumi spilled her drink. Seeing that she didn't have one anymore, he slid his over to her wordlessly. She blinked and looked at it and then over at him. She obviously didn't really comprehend the gesture.

"You can have mine." He said simply, twirling his noodles onto his chopsticks.

"I couldn't," she shook her head. "It's yours. I can just get another one."

"Are you a germ-o-phobe or something? It's no problem, I don't mind sharing." He said, looking at her. Then he smirked. "Unless you think I have cooties."

She huffed and took the drink, sipping it through the straw. "I don't think you have cooties and I'm not afraid of germs." She said to him, taking another sip and smiling happily. "At least not yours anyways."

"Good." He said, taking the drink from her and sipping from it. He froze then and sat the drink down on the table slowly. Sharing a drink with Natsumi and using the same straw was almost the same as kissing her, since technically they were exchanging saliva. He shook his head and continued to eat. That was just stupid, and he knew that she didn't think of it that way. He decided to just pretend it was Minako he was sharing his drink with, since they had done that a few times over the years.

"Youth!" a loud yell erupted from the door. Natsumi looked over, seeming to be the only one who actually acknowledged Ken's presence. Akito took another bite of his food and Toshiro looked like he was trying to explain sand surfing to Minako.

She looked back towards Ken only to find his face in hers. She yelped and scooted back a bit, bumping into Akito. The odd boy pulled up a chair right next to her, leaning over. "Hello beautiful Natsumi, I see you were attracted to my entrance. I couldn't help but notice you're bright gaze." He smiled, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips.

Akito snatched her hand from his before his lips could make contact. "Touch her again and I'll kill you." He threatened, sharingan activating.

Ken blinked, seeming very confused. "I simply do not understand. If you do not claim her, then why is no one but you allowed to touch her?"

Toshiro was just staring intently at the younger version of Lee. "You're such a freak…" he said softly, making sure Minako was safely behind him.

Akito deactivated his sharingan, realizing that Ken was right. "Well…because she doesn't want anyone but me to touch her." He said, smirking in triumph.

The redhead slammed his hands on the table and glared at Akito. "Whoa! What?! You've been touching my sister?!" he yelled, the sand from his gourd already spilling out and swarming around the restaurant.

Natsumi went a dark red, "Not like that you idiot!"

"Why would you even think such a thing? I would never do that." Akito said, giving his friend a horrified look.

The pink haired girl looked at him then, offended. "Oh really?" she glared standing up then and tossing her napkin on the table. She faced the odd boy and steeled her nerves. "Fine Ken, I'll go get ice cream with you or whatever."

He cheered, thrusting his fist in the air. He grabbed her hand, causing her face to contort into a look of displeasure. He quickly dragged his 'exotic beauty' out the door before Akito could stop him. Toshiro stared after them and then looked back at Akito. "Ouch," he laughed, picking up his glass and taking a long sip. "You just lost your special friend to a freak."

"Not for long I didn't." Akito said, throwing his napkin down and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Minako looked around the restaurant and then back at the table. "Did we just get stuck with the bill?" she asked, looking at Toshiro, confused.

The redhead sighed in defeat, "Well I'm sure we could always play the whole 'Kazekage's son' and 'Hokage's daughter' card." He shrugged and then smiled at her, "So you want to go spar? I think it'll be fun. I promise I won't try to hurt you."

She smiled at his idea. "Okay, but don't hold back too much. I'm not as delicate as I look, I promise." She said, standing up.

"Oh I'm sure you're not." He laughed, getting up with her and waving over a waiter. Their plan worked flawlessly, and then they were off to the training fields.

* * *

"And this, my beautiful and precious Natsumi, is my favorite pond. It's so peaceful and full of youth!" Ken smiled excitedly. "See!" he pointed towards a grouping of small baby frogs. "So much youth!"

She inched away from him slowly, looking at the frogs. "Yes, how nice. Very youthful." She nodded. This had been an awful idea. He was way weirder than she thought he would be.

She was thrown over a shoulder suddenly, and from what she could tell, was moving at an incredible speed. Then she was set down in a familiar backyard, Akito standing a foot away from her, sharingan activated and checking the perimeter. He looked back at her and deactivated it. "I think we're safe." He said seriously.

"Safe from what?" she arched her brow, crossing her arms and glaring at him. She was still kind of mad at him for what he said. What? Was she _that_ unattractive?

"Safe from Ken." He said simply, not understanding why she was upset.

"And I was in danger how?" she asked, still in a very defensive stance. She wouldn't admit that her stomach was doing flips from the fact he had swooped her away from that freak.

"He was going to start touching you soon, and I will_ not_ allow it." He said, crossing his arms.

She looked a bit taken back, but decided to try and change her approach. "And who designated you as the person who says who can and cannot touch me?" she unfolded her arms and set them on her hips, challenging him.

"I did. Somebody has to protect you from weirdoes like Ken, so why not me? Unless you wanted him to touch you…then I _guess_ I could take you back…" he said, looking away from her then. Even if she said she wanted to go back he would refuse. He would even resort to physical restraint if he had to.

She just watched him, he was talking about protecting her from weirdoes, yet he was being pretty weird himself. She let a smile form on her face then, she knew what he was at least attempting to say. At least she hoped she knew. "Alright." she gave in, shrugging. "As long as you promise to never let anyone else ever touch me I designate you myself." She winked at him with a devious smirk.

He stared at her in surprise. Then he let a small smile creep over his face. "Fine." Then he walked over and picked up some kunai. "So, you wanna show me how good you've gotten?" he asked, tossing one to her. She caught it expertly, twirling it around her finger and then holding it up by the tip.

"Why not?" she tossed it up once more and then threw it straight at a target, nailing the bull's-eye. She smirked, "And why don't we make this interesting? Winner gets a kiss from the loser."

"You're on." He said tossing his kunai at the target without looking, causing hers to fall off. "Get your lips ready, this will be over quickly." He said with a smirk.

She tried to hide the surprise that covered her face. She huffed, feeling the light pink tint cover her cheeks. "You wish." she growled, walking over to him and stopping unnecessarily close, so that they were practically pressed against one another. She stared up into his deep green eyes and smiled. Skillfully, she opened his kunai holster and pulled out a few. "Thanks," she said, pulling away from him then. She took three of the kunai and threw them, all but one hitting the center perfectly. The third was only a bit off, but a clear miss compared to the others.

Akito took the remaining three from his holster and threw them, each one hitting dead center. She was good, he had to admit, but he had been practicing since he was young. And his father had even asked Tenten to train him a bit. Her loss was declared the moment she challenged him.

She went a bit wide eyed and huffed, "No fair." she crossed her arms in a pout, refusing to look at him now. She was positive she would have gotten a perfect score.

"Looks like I win." He said, walking over to the post and removing the kunai. He placed them back in his holster and walked over to her. He raised a brow and crossed his arms, looking down at her. "So? Aren't you going to kiss me? Or have you changed your mind?" he asked, smirking.

"Hey now, I'm not a liar." She said with a huff and got up on her tip toes. Slowly she held his face with her hands and parted her lips. She closed her eyes and just before her lips touched his, she turned his head and kissed his cheek sweetly. She settled back down and snickered, staring up at him. "You never specified where." Natsumi wagged a finger in his face. "If you want my first kiss…well you're just going to have to earn it the hard way."

"As long as I'm the one who earns it." He said, looking away in a huff. Then he realized what he said and turned back to her. "I mean…uh…" there really wasn't anything he could say to cover up what he had just said.

She blinked and stared at him for a while. She almost couldn't believe the words he had uttered from his mouth. Slowly she smiled and touched his cheek with her hand. "I can't imagine anyone else winning it, so you're in luck." She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. "But don't worry," she leaned closer, letting her breath tickle his ear. "I've been saving it for you, so I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

His face turned crimson then, and he stood there frozen. What was he supposed to say to that? "Do you want to go get some ice cream?" he asked suddenly, needing _something_ to cool off his face.

She pulled away from him and laughed, "Sure." Without a second thought she took his hand and led him out the gate. "I bet you're just dying for something cold." She teased, glancing back at him. But he could see the dark blush on her own face.

"Shut up." He said, looking away from her then. After getting their ice cream they walked around the village, content to just talk to one another.


	3. Chuunin Exams Part II

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Chuunin Exams (Part II)-

_**Two Days Later…**_

They stood in front of the gates to a large forest, everyone looking around in curiosity. Their instructor should have been there an hour ago. People were getting impatient, but nobody dared to leave for fear of being disqualified.

Suddenly there was a poof of smoke and Kakashi appeared on top of the gate. "Yo." He said with a wave, reading a familiar orange book.

"Kakashi-sensei?! You're the instructor for the second exam?!" Minako asked, astonished. That explained why they had all been waiting here for what seemed like forever.

Toshiro sighed. "Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"

"Yeah. Okay everyone listen up, because I'm not going to repeat myself." The grey haired man said, standing and not taking his eye off his book.

"The second exam will be held in the Forest of Death, which you see behind me. There are tons of creatures and traps in there, so it's very likely that you will lose your life or be fatally injured before even finishing." He paused, letting the information sink in before continuing.

"Now, the name of the game is to find everything on the list we give your team. It's sort of like a scavenger hunt if you will. But I warn you," he said holding up a finger after turning the page in his book. "There are not enough items for every team to make it. So if you do not have all of the required items and are at the Tower by the appointed time, you and your team are disqualified. You must also show up with all three of your teammates, so if something happens to one of them, you must make sure they get to the tower with you, alive."

He gestured to a Chuunin who had walked up to the group and began handing out papers. "These are waivers for you to sign, saying that in the event of anything bad happening to you, it is not Leaf's fault. You must sign these before being allowed to enter. Especially _you_ Toshiro, I don't want your psycho dad trying to murder me if you happen to die." The silver haired man glared at the boy for only a moment before continuing. "If one teammate does not sign, your team is disqualified. Any questions?" he asked, turning the page again.

When nobody said anything, Kakashi gave them ten minutes to decide on whether or not to sign the paper. Akito walked over and turned his group's papers in. They had made it this far and there was no way they were going to back out now.

He walked back over to his group. Clasping his hands behind his back, he began to pace in front of them. "Okay team, this is how it's going down. We get in and get out. No pleasantries with friends or the forest animals, no nothing. I don't care if there's a lot of youth to be seen, we need to finish as soon as possible. If we come across a clue that we already have, we take it, therefore lessening the number of teams that pass this exam. Why? Because we are number one. We will. Not. Fail. And if we come across another team of ninjas while in there, we take them down. Show no mercy. Understand?" he asked seriously, facing them.

Minako crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Yeah Akito-kun, we understand. Basically you want us to do as you say right?"

"Exactly, because I am the brains of this operation." He stated with a haughty look.

Minako hit him over the back of his head. "Some brains. You can't even read a scroll that tells you not to open it. Why? Because you opened it!" she accused, referring to a few days ago.

"So…" Ken crossed his arms and smiled broadly. "If we happen to cross paths with that cutie Natsumi then you can't be nice."

"Don't call her that! Only I can say anything about how cute she looks!" Akito yelled, pointing at himself. He blushed lightly at his admission. It was a good thing she and her team were standing far enough away so that she didn't hear him. "Uh…I mean…"

Before he could say anything more Kakashi was standing next to them, nose in his book. "So…you guys should definitely go about fifteen kilometers west when you enter the forest. Yup." He said softly.

"Awesome. Thanks Kakashi-sensei." Akito said, pounding a fist into his hand. They were going to dominate.

"And don't forget about traps." He reminded, turning the page.

Minako rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't worry about that Kakashi-sensei, we know how your mind works. And I have the byakugan, remember?"

Ken began to laugh and nudged the Uchiha, "Speak of the devil," Natsumi came over then, looking from Kakashi to Akito to Minako curiously. "What's up guys?" she asked, flashing them all a brilliant smile, causing Akito to blush slightly.

"I was just telling them that they should go twenty kilometers south when they enter the forest." The copy nin replied, scanning his book.

Natsumi's eyes brightened in realization. "Really?! Okay, now we know where to start." She said, glad that he had shared information with her as well. She had been feeling a bit left out, which was why she had come over in the first place.

"Yeah, but watch out for the traps. You know what? Every time you find an item on the list, just let Toshiro go first. He will be able to handle anything that's thrown his way." The silver haired man said, mischief lighting his visible eye.

"You got it Kakashi-sama!" she grinned, giving him a thumbs up. She looked at Akito and grabbed his hand sweetly. "Good luck Akito!" she said happily, quickly kissing his cheek and then ran over to her siblings to tell them what she had learned.

Ken's jaw dropped and he looked over to his teammate with a thick raised eyebrow. Minako crossed her arms and glared after her friend. Akito's blush darkened, and he placed a hand on the spot where she had kissed him, staring after her in wonder. "Good luck…" he murmured. Was she going to kiss him like that more often? If so, he could get used to it pretty quickly.

Kakashi disappeared then, returning to his spot on top of the gate. "Okay people listen up. If you haven't yet already turned in your forms do so now or leave. Each team will gather in front of their assigned gate, and when you hear the bell, enter. Your lists are hidden within a five foot radius from your gate, so you have to find those first before you can continue. If you come into contact with another team, it is okay that you take any of their items if you need them. There are no rules when it comes to combat, so knock yourselves out." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Akito led their team to their assigned gate. He nodded wordlessly to Minako, who instantly activated her byakugan. She smirked, seeing exactly where their list was located. Then she looked over at the gate Toshiro's group would be going through and found their list. She made eye contact with the redhead and mouthed its location, receiving a smile and nod of thanks in return.

Deactivating her eyes and turning forward, she was met with an angry glare from Akito. "What?" she asked innocently.

His gaze narrowed. "You know what. I will not stand for insubordination Minako."

"Whatever Akito-kun." Was all she said, looking at the gate, effectively dismissing him.

Satomi and Natsumi both looked at their brother with questioning looks. He shrugged, "What? Friends helping out friends. That's all.

"Whatever." They both rolled their eyes and looked forward.

They heard a loud whistle then, and bounded inside. Finding their list, they headed for the direction in which Kakashi had told them to go. Minako only hoped that Toshiro wouldn't get injured too badly. She knew the ways of her sensei. Kakashi had hated Toshiro since day one, and knew that the traps set up for this test were not fun. At all. She only hoped he made it through in one piece.

* * *

"Alright. Twenty kilometers south should be the first clue." Natsumi said, looking at her siblings. Satomi nodded along with Toshiro.

"Here." The redhead said, tossing the scroll with their list on it to his youngest sister. Natsumi caught it in the air as she jumped to the next branch.

She looked at it and then over at her brother, "Why am I holding it?"

He scoffed, "Because I don't want to and you're going to hold everything else. If we come across anyone, you're the fastest so it only makes sense that you keep it away from them." She rolled her eyes and sighed, placing the scroll in her pouch. They sped forward, taking their distance into consideration. Once they had reached their destination they slowed and dropped to the ground.

Natsumi opened the list and read the contents. "Hey looks like Kakashi-sama told the truth. That's one of the items we need." She started forward until Toshiro stopped her with his arm.

"I'll get it Natsumi. I am the oldest after all." He puffed out his chest and started forward. She was about to protest when Kakashi's words flashed across her mind. She laughed and crossed her arms, watching her brother.

"Okay Toshiro. You go right ahead."

A bit suspicious from his sister's reaction, he glanced back at her. It had been his fatal mistake, in his glare he had missed the trip wire that went off right as he stepped on it. A rain of kunai flew at him. Luckily his sand had reacted and stopped all the projectiles. He laughed, what a meager trap. He continued forward and the ground gave way, making him fall into a shallow pit filled with green slime. Satomi and Natsumi burst into laughter, holding their sides and trying to get in a breath.

"NATSUMI!" Toshiro yelled from the ditch.

The short haired twin sauntered up to the hole and stared down. "Oh, yes? Sorry, did I not tell you about the trap? My bad." She snickered, grabbing the oddly shaped piece of metal. "Hm…weird." She shrugged and slid it into her pack.

The twins looked down the pit once more and tried to stifle their laughter. "You going to get out of there anytime soon?" Satomi smirked, setting her hands on her hips.

"Just shut up." He growled, pulling himself up from the goo, trying to get as much off as he could. "Let's just find a stupid river or pond so I can wash this off."

* * *

"I found another figurine." Minako said, staring off into the distance.

"Let's get it. I want there to only be a few teams left when this is all over." Akito said in a monotone. Things had been going great for them so far. They were already over halfway through their list. Ken was carrying everything, since he was the fastest. Plus, Minako had been training with him since they were children, and with his sharingan and her byakugan, they were an undefeatable team.

So far they had at least two of each item, effectively taking out numerous teams already. They stopped in front of a large tree. "It's inside that hole." Minako said.

Akito walked forward and reached his hand in, quickly pulling out the figurine. He relaxed minutely when nothing happened. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, a small click was heard.

"Move!" He yelled, tackling Minako to the ground. When the dust cleared, there was a huge axe embedded in the bark, right where she had been standing.

"Thank you Akito-kun." She said as they got up.

He brushed the dirt off his clothes and handed Ken the figure. "Don't mention it. What's next?" he asked.

Minako pulled out the list and scanned it. "We just need a saber tooth from a tiger and a snake skin."

Akito shuddered unnoticeably at that last item. He hated snakes, from the very core of his being. That's why, when he was old enough to learn, he would learn the dog summoning jutsu from Kakashi, instead of the snake one from his father.

"Well, they're not just going to reveal themselves to us." He sighed, resigned. The sooner they got this over with the better. That said, the group bounded off into the trees.

* * *

"You're out of your damn mind if you think I'm carrying that around." Natsumi glared hatefully at her brother.

"Well I don't want to touch that nasty thing!" the redhead yelled back, pointing at the snake skin that was hanging from a tree branch.

She stomped up to him and intensified her glare. "No. I already have to carry around all this extra crap because you want to get rid of the competition. If you want that disgusting thing and if you want to win, _you_ grab it!"

"You know what Natsumi," Toshiro crossed his arms tightly. "I have been attacked by birds and bees, thrown into at least five holes because you always make me get the items! Now go and get it!"

"Oh my God!" Satomi threw her hands in the air and grabbed the skin. "You guys are so retarded." She growled, shoving it in her pack. "Let's go already! We have one more item to go and I'm tired of this stupid forest."

Toshiro's mouth dropped, "What?!" he ran over to the tree and looked around. "Where's the trap?!" he demanded. Natsumi just rolled her eyes and followed her sister. The redhead yelled out in frustration, pulling on his hair. "I hate this place!"

"Just hurry up!" they yelled together, glaring back at their brother.

He took off after them then and they took to the trees. After they had been running for a while Satomi glanced down and saw another snake skin. "Look." She pointed, falling to the floor and landing gracefully. Natsumi and Toshiro followed, looking at the skin, "Gross." They shivered.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and the three lowered into defensive stances. "Ken I don't care about the rabbit's youth!" Akito yelled, glaring back as he came through the brush.

Natsumi blinked and relaxed. "Akito?" she smiled and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck in an embrace. "Hi Akito!"

He looked down at her in surprise. "Hey squi-oh my god! What is that?!" he exclaimed, backing away from the snake skin.

Minako rolled her eyes and walked forward, picking it up. "It's just a snake skin Akito-kun. Wanna touch it?" she asked, waving it a bit and walking towards him.

He grabbed Natsumi and placed her between him and the ebony haired girl. He ducked down so that all you could see was his head peeking over her shoulder. "No, I do not want to touch it. Keep that vile, disgusting thing away from me." He said, glaring at her.

Natsumi was wide eyed and staring at the gross thing. "Ew." She shivered, but then tried to look back at Akito. "Are you afraid of snakes Akito?" she asked, turning her body to face him, but still keeping herself between him and Minako.

He stood straight then, getting control over his fear. Barely. "No…they're just creepy, and I don't like them. That is completely different from being afraid of them."

"Oh whatever. You are so afraid of them Akito-kun! You almost fainted when your dad summoned that huge one a few weeks ago in his spar with my daddy!" Minako exclaimed with a roll of her eyes.

He sent her a dead glare. "Minako…shut. Up."

The pink haired girl laughed and hugged Akito once more. "That's okay Akito, if a snake ever comes after you I'll protect you from it!"

"Yeah right Natsumi, you wouldn't even carry the snake skin." Toshiro glared, crossing his arms.

She glanced over at her brother without releasing her Uchiha, "Just because I don't want to carry around a dead snake doesn't mean I'm afraid of them, moron."

"Seriously." Satomi sighed. "Toshiro always makes Natsumi kill the snakes in the desert because he's afraid they will crawl in his bed.

"I am not!" the redhead glared threateningly at his sister.

Minako threw the snake skin at Ken, who caught it easily, before running over to the redhead. Stopping less than a foot away from him, she clasped her hands behind her back and smiled at him tentatively. "Don't worry Shiro-kun! I'm not afraid of snakes, so while you're around me you'll be safe!" she said, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

A dark blush covered his own face. "I'm not afraid of snakes Minako. They're just nasty and disgusting." Satomi rolled her eyes.

"Come on we need one more item." She said, starting to walk off.

Natsumi groaned and snuggled into Akito's chest. "I don't want to leave after seeing Akito. Besides we've been looking for that stupid bronze leaf for hours and all we've found are like two of everything else!"

"We have an extra bronze leaf if you want it. We're done now that we have the snake skin, so why don't we just head to the tower together? It will be faster and we'll be less likely to be stopped if we travel as a bigger group." Akito said, looking down at her.

"What happened to eliminating the enemy?! And showing no mercy?!" Ken exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Akito put his arms around Natsumi since he was unable to cross them. "This is different. They are our friends."

"I think it's a great idea! Thanks Akito, I'm just glad we don't have to look anymore! And now I get to spend more time with you!" she grinned, totally absorbed in his being.

Toshiro stared at the two and then glanced at Minako, who had a frown on her face. "Why don't you two just go find a bush and make out already?" he rolled his eyes and started walking off with Satomi. Natsumi was beet red now.

Akito, red at what his friend had said, gently disentangled himself from the girl. Then he began to walk after the redhead. "What gives you the idea that we would do that? Huh?" he asked, going ignored. Then he turned and walked back over to Natsumi. He grabbed her hand and began to follow once again.

"Come on." He said, cheeks still pink. She walked with him, keeping her fingers intertwined with his and letting him take the lead.

Minako followed silently behind the two, crossing her arms in anger. Sensing her upset, Ken pranced up to her. "Want me to hold your hand too Minako-chan? Or I could carry you. You can even snuggle up to me if you get cold as we travel through the trees! I don't want my speed to affect your glorious youth!" the bushy eyed boy declared, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes widened in shock. She liked Ken, she really did. He was a loyal friend and a great teammate. But he was just weird sometimes. And now was one of those times. So she sped up until she was next to Toshiro, knowing that he would protect her from the strange boy.

It didn't take too long for the six to make it to the tower. They were the first two teams to actually make it. "This place is creepy." Natsumi shivered, moving closer to Akito.

"It is pretty spooky, why do you have a tower in the middle of a caged forest?" Toshiro asked looking back at his friend and trying not to feel uncomfortable with just how _friendly_ he was with his sister.

"How should I know?" Akito answered, putting a comforting arm around Natsumi subconsciously and looking around. "I didn't even know this place was here."

Minako activated her byakugan, trying to ignore her two friends. "Looks like the place is empty. I don't even think the exam proctors are here yet."

"Yay! The power of our youth made us finish early!" Ken exclaimed, running in a circle around the group.

Without looking Akito reached out an arm and clothes-lined the green clad ninja. "Idiot. That's because the entire time we have been taking all the extra items we find, effectively eliminating over half the competition."

"Yeah, we did that too." Satomi said, looking around the place. She watched Minako closely and decided it was time for some friendly advice. She walked over to her and set her hand on her shoulder, leading her off a bit. "Hey Minako…green is not a good color on you…" she tried to be subtle.

Minako looked at the ground in shame. She _hated_ being jealous. "Is it that obvious?" she asked. "I'm sorry. It's just, I don't know…I guess I'm just not used to being ignored."

She looked up at her friend, eyes full of worry. "Does this mean I've become one of those shallow snobs Satomi-chan?" she asked concernedly.

"Of course not," she smiled, "and it's not super obvious. I'm pretty sure Natsumi knows. I know Natsumi can rub you the wrong way but just be careful."

"I will. Thanks Satomi-chan." Minako said, smiling at her friend.

They rejoined their friends then, each wondering when they would be allowed to leave. Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke then, reading his book. "Yo." He said without looking up.

"Hello Kakashi-sama!" Natsumi smiled, waving to the older jounin.

"YOU!" Toshiro pointed accusingly. "This sick game was your twisted way of trying to kill me!"

"It's not my fault your father didn't teach you well enough on how to avoid traps." The silver haired man pointed out, turning a page in his book. "Although, he was never very good at it in the first place." He continued, the corner of his mouth lifting under his mask.

Natsumi came up to Kakashi and clapped her hands together. "I did exactly what you said Kakashi-sama, I let Toshiro get all the items!"

"Good job Natsumi." Kakashi said, looking over at her.

Satomi sighed and glared at the silver haired man. "So…can we leave now since we finished?"

"No. Both of your teams actually finished early, so you'll have to camp out here for two days until the others arrive." He said, returning to his book.

"But Kakashi-sensei! It's freezing in here!" Minako complained, rubbing her arms.

"Not my problem." He said, before disappearing in the same manner that he had arrived.

Ken ran up to her and slung his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry Minako-chan! I shall keep you warm throughout the night! We can share a tent, and a sleeping bag, and body heat! Think of all the youth that will pass between us!" he exclaimed with a bright smile. Minako's eyes widened in fear. She would rather freeze to death than share _anything_ with Ken.

The dark haired girl was ripped from his grasp and pressed against another body. "If Minako wants to stay warm she can sleep with me." Toshiro said defensively.

She wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist, wanting to be closer to him than Ken. "I would rather stay with Shiro-kun." She said, a dark blush coming to her cheeks.

"So there. It's settled." He huffed and made sure his body was in between Minako and the odd boy. He pulled her away then, starting to set up the tent they would be sleeping in.

Ken ran over to Natsumi then. "Are you cold Natsumi-chan? I would gladly share my tent with a beauty such as yourself." He said, reaching to take her hand. Suddenly he was slammed into a wall with a hand wrapped around his throat. He looked down only to be met with angry sharingan eyes.

"Natsumi will be staying with me. I am the only one who is allowed to touch her. Try one more time and I will kill you." Akito threatened, glaring menacingly at his teammate.

"Did Natsumi-chan agree with this? The girl must consent before claiming you know." Ken asked, looking over at the pink haired girl. Akito turned his head to the side and waited for her answer.

She smiled apologetically, "Sorry Ken. Akito really is the only person I like touching me. And I am pretty cold, but I know he'll keep me warm."

Akito turned back to Ken and smirked triumphantly. Then he deactivated his sharingan and let go of him, walking over and setting up the tent he and Natsumi would be staying in. Ken turned to Satomi then. "Well what about you Satomi-chan? You may not be as beautiful or as radiant as Minako-chan and Natsumi-chan, but I will never allow a girl to be left alone and defenseless." He declared, placing a fist over his heart.

Satomi's fist slammed into his face, a sickening crack filling the room from his jaw breaking. She dusted her hands off then and went off to sleep in her own tent. Natsumi laughed and once Akito was finished setting up their tent she threw her things in and made herself comfortable.

Minako crawled into the tent she would be sharing with Toshiro and set up her sleeping bag. Then she took off her kunai holster and shoes, crawling in shortly afterwards. Toshiro entered a few minutes later and did the same.

Akito stood outside the tent he was sharing with Natsumi and knocked on the flap. "Natsumi, are you decent?" he whispered, looking around the room to make sure he didn't disturb anyone, since they were all in their tents.

She rolled her eyes and looked over to the entrance of the tent. "No, I'm naked Akito."

"What?!" he asked in disbelief.

She poked her head out and glared at him, "Not really you dummy. Why on earth would I ever get naked in this kind of situation?"

His shocked look turned into a glare. "Shut up." He said, moving past her and entering the tent. He took off his weapons and his shoes, tossing them over to where his pack was. Then he took out his sleeping bag and unrolled it. "You shouldn't joke about things like that. It isn't funny." He told her, his tone serious.

"I thought it was funny," she huffed and lay down in her own sleeping bag. "Whatever. Night," she grumbled, turning over so he could only see her back.

He got in his and looked over at her. "You don't have to get mad. I was just saying…" it was then he heard the sounds of her soft breathing, and realized she had already fallen asleep. With a roll of his eyes he pulled her to him and lay down, falling asleep shortly after.

In her own tent Minako shivered slightly. Even in all her clothes and sleeping bag, she was still freezing. But she didn't want to ask Toshiro to keep her warm, even though he had offered. Saying and doing were two completely different things after all.

"If you're cold…" Toshiro mumbled sleepily, "All you have to do is ask." He let out a loud yawn and opened his sleeping bag for her to join him.

She immediately moved into his warmth and snuggled into his chest. "I didn't want to disturb you or anything." She mumbled, letting out a sigh of relief as his warmth spread through her system.

"It's no biggie." He assured her, falling back asleep quickly.

She smiled to herself and let out another sigh. "Night Shiro-kun." She murmured, before shutting her eyes and falling asleep. The group stayed in the room for another two days, anxiously awaiting the third part of the exam.


	4. Chuunin Exams Part III

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Chuunin Exams (Part III)-

There were twelve genin lined up in front of a threatening looking woman. She smirked and paced up and down the line with a stick in her mouth. She pulled it out and tossed it aside. "I'm Anko, your proctor for the last exam. This will probably be the most life threatening test of all." She informed them, stopping and eyeing the four teams.

"Now stand straight, our Kages are entering." She turned around and looked up at the perch with the best seats.

Gaara and Naruto walked out, both dressed in their Kage robes, including their hats. The blonde seemed to be fidgeting with his. They sat down, Gaara and Naruto in the center of the five chairs. Sakura was on Gaara's left and Hinata sat on Naruto's right. Sasuke took a seat next to the shy woman holding her giggling baby boy. Yuki, on the other hand, was crying in her mother's arms. Sakura tried to sooth her, but looked exhausted from having to cater to her daughter's needs. Gaara leaned back in his chair and gazed down at the field, a smirk adorned his face. "All three of my children are in the finals, I'm sure they won't disappoint me."

Sakura gave him a hard smack on the arm, "Gaara, you know better than that. It doesn't matter if they win or lose. As long as they try their best." She glared and then focused back on Yuki, who had calmed down somewhat.

"Whatever Sakura-chan, it's all about winning. I mean, I didn't lose my fight and Gaara…well Gaara's doesn't really count. Right Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a smile, looking over at his friend.

"Hn." Was all the stoic Uchiha said.

"Exactly Sakura, it's all about winning. Toshiro, Satomi, and Natsumi know better than to lose. Failure is simply not an option." He replied, lacing his fingers together and looking down.

She bounced Yuki on her leg, trying to preoccupy the crying girl. "Well if one of them does lose, and I'm not saying they will, we will accept it gracefully. I don't want you making them feel bad or anything." She said, giving him a stern look.

He glanced over at her and then took Yuki from his wife, "Well if they don't want to feel bad, then they better not lose. They know my expectations." He looked down at Yuki and gave her a small smile. "Hello small one, will you watch your brother and sisters quietly? If you study them, you might learn something and you will already be ahead of the game."

"Gaara!" Sakura gasped and snatched the red headed girl back, "She's only five years old!"

"So? It's never too early to start." He looked away from her and leaned back once more. Sakura glared at him and did the same as Yuki attached herself to her mom. She had quieted down a bit, only because her dad had told her so.

Anko held up a piece of paper that had the tournament match-ups drawn. "Alright. I will announce who you are fighting, in order of when you will take the field. First up we have Tanaka Yoii from Sand vs. Nakamura Kasumi from Mist. Rock Ken from Leaf vs. Sato Sora from Sand. Sabaku no Satomi from Sand vs. Yoshida Kiri from Mist. Nara Kumori from Sand vs. Yamada Numa from Mist. Sabaku no Natsumi from Sand vs. Uzumaki Minako from Leaf. Sabaku no Toshiro from Sand vs. Uchiha Akito from Leaf. Are there any questions?" she asked loudly, looking at all the students. "Remember this is not a playful spar, this is a life or death battle. Hold nothing back! You will only stop when I order it or if your opponent is absolutely unable to continue."

"So we won't be penalized or anything if we kill our opponent?" the one named Kiri asked with a smirk.

Satomi glanced over, a bit offended at the person beside her. "Yeah," she looked back at Anko. "If we kill them it doesn't matter right? Especially if they aren't from either of the more important villages."

"Or if they're completely useless." Kiri said, turning towards the pink haired girl next to him. "I mean, some people just don't look cut out to be ninja. Especially if they are that small." He continued, giving Satomi a once over.

"We'll see." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She was ready to break this stupid Mist ninja's face.

Anko just laughed, "Well alright. Everyone else but Yoii and Kasumi head up to that small balcony there." She pointed up to an enclosed perch. She dismissed them, and once they were all up on the balcony, the match began between the two girls.

* * *

Satomi's fist made contact with Kiri's face, and a sickening crack could be heard around the whole stadium. Most the spectators cheered, but could feel the poor boy's pain from their seats.

"That's my girl!" Sakura shouted, standing up from her chair and thrusting her fist in the air. Gaara stared at his wife, bouncing Yuki on his knees as the fight continued. She was actually laughing at the pain her sister was causing the other man. "Show him what your mamma gave you!"

The boy flew across the field and slammed against the wall, sending a crack up the cement. He groaned loudly, trying to get up. But she was already running at him. She jumped into the air, the move looking familiar to Tsunade's drop kick. Before the Mist genin could react, Satomi's foot made contact with his head, sending him into a crater.

She flipped back and landed on the flat ground, glaring down into the hole. "Who's useless now?" she asked, straightening up and dusting her hands off. He just groaned and let his head fall back down to the ground, unable to lift a finger.

"Winner! Sabaku no Satomi!" Anko announced. The crowd went wild then, applause thundering throughout the arena. The commotion caused Yuki to start crying again.

Satomi walked back to the only exit and up the stairs, passing her cousin, Kumori, and his opponent Numa on the way up. When she reached the top she was met with her sister and Minako. "Wow! Good job Satomi! That was amazing! You totally obliterated him!"

"Yeah Satomi-chan! He never stood a chance against you!" Minako cheered, patting her friend on the back.

The next match went on for a while but the sand siblings knew their cousin, and there was no way he would lose to some Mist nin. With some clever planning and maneuvering, Kumori overcame Numa and won his match. Natsumi cheered and waved to her cousin. "Awesome Kumori!" she yelled from the balcony.

He waved up and smiled, disappearing through the doorway then. "Oh!" she blinked and moved from the edge. "It's my turn isn't it?" She laughed and rubbed the back of her head.

"I think it is." Minako said, the reality that she would have to fighter her friend just now hitting her. "Let's go Natsumi-chan." The girls headed down to the arena silently, both lost in thought as to how they were going to defeat the other.

Up in the stands, Shuhei had wriggled out of his mother's grasp and was running in circles around the adults. He stopped in front of Gaara and began to hit his leg. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" he said energetically.

Slowly, Gaara looked down, trying to hold in his annoyance. "What?" he asked the small blonde boy. Yuki was now by her mother's side, holding onto her leg and staring down at the ground.

"Natsumi." She pointed to the spot of pink.

"Yes sweetie, your sister is about to fight Minako." Sakura said softly, smiling tenderly at her daughter. She had been quiet for a while now, and hopefully she would stay that way.

Shuhei smiled a classic Naruto smile at the Kazekage. "Hi." He said, resuming his laps around the seats. Naruto began to nudge his friend.

"Hey. Hey. Hey." He said, keeping an eye on the arena and watching his daughter walk out.

Gaara's eye twitched, "What?!" he seethed, glaring at his friend.

"Isn't my son adorable?" he asked, grinning at the redhead.

He didn't say anything, he just hit Naruto over the head. "I hate you." He growled, turning his focus back to the playing field. This was the fight he was actually looking forward to most. "I wonder who's going to win." He said simply, lacing his fingers together.

Sakura nodded, sitting down and letting Yuki roam around the balcony. Sasuke glanced over at the two and spoke up for the first time since the exams began. "You don't know how your daughter fights?" he arched a brow.

"Actually no…" Gaara admitted. "The only thing she ever comes to me for is tips on how to use sand, she trains with Toshiro and I sometimes, but she goes off on her own more…I've never actually seen her fight."

"Nor have I. She doesn't have strength like Toshiro and Satomi, so I only teach her medical jutsu. Other than that I haven't seen anything either, but her chakra levels are enormous. They're bigger than Toshiro's." she informed them, glancing back to make sure Yuki was behaving.

"That's odd. If Minako isn't training with me, Neji, or Hinata-chan, she's off with Kakashi-sensei or Akito. It's curious that Natsumi doesn't let people know what she can do." Naruto observed, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

Shuhei ran over to Yuki then and gave her a bright smile. He looked at her hair in wonder. "Pretty." He said, pointing at her crimson locks. He really liked bright colors, and her hair was one of the brightest things he had ever seen in his life.

She glared at him and hit his hand away. "You're weird!" she shouted back and ran away from him. He laughed and chased after her, trying to get a handful of her hair. In a burst of speed uncommon for a child his age, he reached her and grabbed a hold of her hair, yanking it accidentally.

She let out a cry and attempted to hit him, but he was still latched onto her hair. "MOMMY!" she screeched loudly.

Shuhei's smile instantly left his face when he realized that he had hurt the girl with the pretty hair. He let go of his handful and stuck his head out to her. "Here." He said simply. "You can pull mine if you want." He told her, pointing to his bright yellow locks.

At the sound of her daughter's cry Sakura leaned around her chair and looked over at her daughter, a worried look on her face. When she saw what had happened she let out a sigh and looked over at Naruto. "Your son just had to be like you, didn't he?"

"What do you mean Sakura-chan? Look at them! They are getting along famously, just like me and Gaara." The blonde Hokage said, smiling at the kids.

Gaara and Sakura both gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah…that's going to end badly." The Kazekage sighed and ignored his daughter. She was just being a spoiled brat anyways. "Yuki. Please be quiet, Natsumi is about to fight." He waved his hand to silence the small girl, who looked hurt by her father's rejection. She hated how much attention her older siblings got from him. It was only because they could fight and she couldn't.

Minako had made it out to Anko and turned to see Natsumi slowing her pace. Suddenly she stopped, holding onto her head and wincing. _Oh God why now?!_ She screamed in her head, a feeling of terrible dread washing over her.

Sakura sat up when her daughter stopped suddenly. Was she having another premonition? But before she could stand to go help her child, the young Uchiha was next to her, having jumped over the railing where the other contestants were seated. Knowing that her daughter was in good hands, she sat back in her seat.

Akito stopped in front of Natsumi and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her as she collapsed against him, he began to run his fingers through her hair in a comforting manner, just as he had when they were kids. "Shhh. It's going to be okay Natsumi, I'm here. I won't leave you. I promise." He soothed.

"No…something bad is going to happen. People are going to die." She whispered, latching onto him and crying into his chest. Anko was even about to go assist the girl.

"What's happening?" the proctor asked Minako, a bit of worry in her voice. After all Natsumi was the Kazekage's daughter.

"I-I don't know. I've only seen Akito-kun comfort her like this once, and it was a long time ago. Even then I didn't know what was going on." Minako answered, brow scrunching in jealousy. Why did Natsumi always have to call attention to herself? Didn't she get enough at home?

Sakura placed her hand on Gaara's arm. "Gaara, Naruto, something bad is going to happen. Natsumi is having a premonition. You need to double your village security or something."

"Are you sure Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, not wanting to make his shinobi do something so rash for no reason.

"Yes. Natsumi is never wrong about these things." Sakura answered, keeping her gaze trained on her daughter. Sasuke just watched his son curiously. He would be the first to admit that this was out of character for the normally stoic young Uchiha.

Akito pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, hoping that maybe that would calm her down a bit more. Then he continued his actions. "Nobody will die if I can help it. Do you know how long we have until your premonition comes true?" he asked, looking down at her.

She shook her head, relaxing more in his grip. "Something bad…it's here though…after the exams." She nodded, his presence was more soothing than her mother's, and her mother's didn't make her heart race like this. "Two, maybe three days after we leave. I'm not sure but someone will try and attack Konoha."

Finally her breathing regulated and she stared at his chest hollowly. Akito would be here when this terrible event would occur and she couldn't protect him. At least when she was there she was always able to predict what would happen. She glanced over at Minako, whose slight glare didn't go unnoticed. What was her problem anyway? Was she not even allowed to have Akito when she truly needed him?

He began to rub her back, noticing that she had calmed down a bit. "It will be alright. I can take care of myself, you don't need to worry about me. If you want, I will even write you when the whole thing is over." He said, smiling down at her.

"You better promise." She said, not sounding like her normal self. She was tired of Minako getting in the way of her and Akito. It wasn't fair that she got her brother _and_ Akito. "I need to do this." she whispered, looking up at him with an odd expression. She placed her hand on his cheek and leaned up, kissing his other softly.

"Thank you." she gave him a small smile, but it still wasn't hers. She turned away from him and walked towards Minako with a dark idiom. She didn't like the emotions that were swarming through her body. Rage, hatred, jealousy, and fear. She needed to get rid of them and she would. She was going to beat Minako in front of Akito and show him just how much better than the dark haired girl she was.

Akito watched her, still a little worried. Then he went back up to his seat. Minako tightened the bindings on her hands, a determined look on her face. She was going to give this fight her all, no matter what.

Sakura was on the edge of her seat now. She recognized that look, and it didn't mean anything good. "Gaara, look at Natsumi's face." She said seriously.

He leaned forward as well going a bit wide eyed. "Naruto…you need to be ready to intervene." He said simply.

Toshiro made eye contact with Akito once he rejoined them, "What's going on? Something bad?" he asked, looking back at his sister. Satomi was staring at Natsumi, her expression changed from uncaring to worry.

"Toshiro…look." She pointed.

The redhead was by his sister's side and went wide eyed. "Should we tell them to stop the fight?"

"What's going on?" Akito asked, coming over to where the two were standing. "She had another premonition and said that the village would be attacked about two or three days after you guys leave. Then she got this weird look on her face and walked off. Is everything okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Satomi looked back at the Uchiha and sighed, for the first time responding to him without sarcasm. "The last time my sister had that look on her face, she killed someone, and it wasn't pretty. But last time it was with sand…and I don't know how she fights anymore so…it's not good."

Akito looked at the arena then, worry evident on his face. He was worried about Natsumi, since she wasn't acting like herself. And he was worried about Minako. He hoped she didn't get hurt too badly.

Anko looked between the two girls and sighed. These were always the more vicious fights. Sure, boys were rough with each other, but girls were just vicious. She held up her hand, silencing the crowd and telling the girls to get ready. Then she dropped it suddenly and stood back, beginning the fight.

Minako activated her byakugan and entered into a defensive stance, not really sure how Natsumi would attack. But she assumed since she controlled sand like Toshiro it would be relatively similar. A sadistic smirk crept up Natsumi's face. She could tell what Minako was thinking and it was a mistake that already assured her victory. "Let's go." She said enigmatically. Suddenly the pink haired girl disappeared, causing everyone to lean forward in their seats.

"Where did sissy go?" Yuki asked, staring down at the field.

Gaara was up now, he needed to see this as best as he could. Even Sasuke was up and surprisingly had his sharingan activated. "No way…" the Uchiha whispered.

Akito was gripping the railing tightly, his sharingan activated so that he could see Natsumi's movements.

Everything happened in a matter of seconds after the disappearance. Suddenly Natsumi was in front of Minako. She jumped up and spun around, slamming her foot down as hard as she could. Minako was wide eyed until her head was forced down, a clean cut sliced right on her cheek from the blow. Before she had time to react, Natsumi's knee made contact with her stomach and sent her into the air. The pink haired girl appeared above her and slammed her foot down onto her back and nailed her into the ground. She flipped back and slid to a stop, looking back at the fallen girl.

Minako coughed and stood up slowly, wiping the blood from her mouth. When did Natsumi get that fast? Her glare intensified. She had promised herself that she would give this fight her all, and give it her all she would. She just needed to watch Natsumi's movements a bit more, so that she could better predict them. If that meant she needed to be hit a few more times, then so be it. Those thoughts in mind, she slid into the classic pose for the gentle fist.

Natsumi laughed, "Really Minako? You forget I've seen that style and trained with you. You should try and surprise me…you might stand a chance then." She pulled out two kunai and spun them around her fingers. She was not going to hold anything back. No matter how damaged Minako got she wasn't going to stop.

She disappeared again, causing Minako to search around, barely able to get a lock on every step. There was no fluidity to her movements, which was odd. But it made sense. Natsumi, unlike Toshiro and Satomi, was unpredictable, so her movements were bound to be erratic. Natsumi appeared in full vision every so often, bounding off trees and the ground. Finally she lashed out at her friend from behind, ready to slash her back. Thanks to her byakugan Minako turned around quickly, doing a full rotation and sending her friend off.

She flipped back and landed on her feet, wiping the blood that had splattered on her face. She blinked, staring at it and then when Minako stopped her rotation she held up her bleeding hand. It seemed that she wasn't fast enough to fully block the attack. If it came down to it she could slowly chip away at the girl.

Minako blocked out the pain, focusing all her attention on the fight. She refused to respond to her friend's jab. Natsumi may know a few aspects of gentle fist, but there were still things that she would never be privy to.

Naruto was standing now, all of his attention on his daughter. It was killing him to see her just get hurt, but Kage or not, he was not allowed to intervene. Shuhei was next to him, peering over the edge so that he could watch his sister fight.

Minako focused her chakra and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next attack. Natsumi disappeared again, appearing in front of Minako. Then she was gone, stopping only long enough for Minako to see her, but not long enough to be attacked. Concentrating, Minako waited for the right moment.

Out of sheer luck, Minako accurately guessed where Natsumi would stop next. Using the technique her mother had invented, she sent a string of chakra in that direction, lashing it out as if it were a whip. Natsumi wasn't fast enough to dodge it fully, causing her cheek to be sliced open. In that one moment, Minako sent some harmful chakra into the wound, wanting to do as much damage as she could.

Seeing that her attack was successful, the Uzumaki girl allowed a small smirk to grace her features. Finally, it looked as if things were picking up in their fight. Natsumi touched her face, running her finger along the cut and making it disappear. "Count yourself lucky. I haven't even begun to attack." She took an extremely familiar stance. Minako's face contorted into annoyance. That sand shinobi would dare use her own family's style against her?!

Gaara grimaced, "Is she…using the Hyuuga technique?" he asked, glancing over at Hinata.

"Yes, it is. I guess she trained with Nii-san a bit during her visits…I never taught her anything." Hinata answered, brow scrunching in confusion. Why would Neji teach someone outside the clan? Those things were usually forbidden.

Natsumi ran forward, her palms flat and ready to thrust. Minako readied herself, there was no way she could attempt the Hyuuga way. She couldn't see the pressure points with her naked eyes, so it was a futile effort on her part. That was when she was once again surprised. Natsumi's palms went straight for Minako's heart. The ebony haired girl just barely managed to move back. She felt her heart stop when Natsumi's hand had grazed her chest. She couldn't help but blurt out the question. "What was that?!"

"My technique!" the twin shouted with psychotic excitement. She sped up, placing Minako on defense only. She couldn't find an opening, and now every time she tried to attack that stupid sand would get in the way and stop her hands. Finally, Natsumi's hand made full contact with her side. Pain shot throughout her body. It burned so badly she couldn't help but let out an agonized cry. It felt like her tissue was slowly burning away and eating her muscles gradually.

Natsumi started to laugh again. Sakura recognized the pitch and the matching look her daughter had to her husband. She prayed that her daughter wouldn't do anything she'd regret.

"Mina!" Shuhei cried, trying to climb over the rail and run to his sister's aid. Naruto grabbed his son and picked him up, holding him to his side. He was worried about his daughter too, and it took everything in him to stay on the balcony.

Akito's face contorted into one of pain as her heard his friend's cry. Why was Natsumi acting this way? He almost didn't recognize her. Toshiro glanced at Satomi, "Dad's showing…" he said lowly. Satomi nodded, her grip on the railing tightening.

Minako stood straight then, it was time to bring out the big guns. Luckily her body healed itself pretty quickly. Not as fast as her father's, since he held the Nine Tails, but fast enough to where the burning sensation was beginning to fade a bit.

She rushed at Natsumi in a burst of speed and knocked her back using the gentle fist. As the pink haired girl began her attempt to escape, Minako entered the stance for the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. She began to hit Natsumi on all her vital chakra points, using as much force as she could. When she got to the last one, she sent a small Rasengan to her fingertips and hit Natsumi in the center of her chest. The force of the last blow sent the girl flying across the arena and into the wall, causing a huge hole to appear.

Naruto gasped in shock. "I didn't even know she could do that! That was amazing!" he exclaimed, pride swelling in his chest at his daughter's new move.

"Did she combine Gentle Fist and the Rasengan?" Sasuke asked, somewhat skeptical even though he had seen it with his own two sharingan.

"Apparently so Sasuke. But Minako has always been brilliant, I am not surprised that she invented it at such a young age." Hinata said softly.

Gaara and Sakura were not looking at the girl but the hole. "This is bad…" Gaara said, resisting with all his power from jumping down to stop the fight that was about to get really bloody.

"What are you talking about Gaara?" Naruto smirked, "What, your precious little angel lose? And you can't believe it. I'm not surprised, Minako's pretty amazing." He brushed his fingers across his robes and looked back at the field.

"No Naruto…" Sakura said sadly, "Minako didn't win. She just pissed Natsumi off…"

"What do you mean? You can't tell me that you made your child so cocky that she gets angry from a little hit can you? Especially after everything she's done to my daughter." Naruto asked skeptically.

Both glared at the blonde. "We just told you we've never seen her fight. So we don't know, but her chakra just spiked and her sand is stirring." The redhead said seriously, "I don't know what she will do. Natsumi is the calmest of all of them so this is very odd. Now shut up, I'm only telling you this because I don't want your daughter to die."

Minako was breathing hard now. That had taken a lot out of her, and her burning side wasn't helping. She thought Natsumi would stay down because she put a lot of power into that attack. Unfortunately she wasn't that lucky, because then the pink haired girl pulled herself through the wall and she didn't even appear like herself. The sadistic look on her face frightened even her siblings.

Sakura gasped, grabbing onto Gaara's arm. "You have to stop her." She pleaded, painfully squeezing his arm.

"I can't…there's nothing I can do…" he whispered to her.

Once Natsumi was back on the ground she made eye contact with the strained blue eyes of her friend. "Minako!" Toshiro yelled, leaning forward over the rail. "Forfeit! NOW!"

"Yeah Minako…you should give up…before you get really hurt…" Natsumi said, trying to hold in her psychotic laughter.

"It's not in me to give up Natsumi-chan, I'm sorry." Minako said, slightly confused. Her parents never gave up, and she wouldn't either, no matter what the odds were. She would not disgrace herself or her family by forfeiting.

She shrugged and in the blink of an eye Natsumi was in her face, somehow moving faster than before. She cart wheeled forward and was now using more of a taijutsu form. Something was different about her attacks now, no matter how far her hands were from Minako's body, something always hit her. Finally she was able to detect the sand that was stretching out from Natsumi's limbs and slashing away at her skin.

Minako held her palms out, trying to deflect the sand with her chakra but it moved around her palms and lashed out at her. She took a step back, but Natsumi was right after her. The sand kunoichi moved in, pressing her hands on Minako's shoulder, flipping over her and turning in the air. There was another loud scream as Natsumi twisted the bone in her opponent's shoulder, along with the burning that had been in her side before. Her tissue was being eradicated slowly. Natsumi didn't release Minako, and once her feet were on the ground, she threw the girl over her and into the ground with a painful smack.

That was when the frenzy began. All the sand in the area burst from the ground and out of her gourd, spiraling towards her. Natsumi swung her hand down and a wave of sand smashed over Minako. She repeated the action with her other hand. The pulverizing continued as Natsumi's glare hardened. She would win. She was better than Minako! Suna was better than Konoha and she would not lose. She would show them what true power and strength was. She couldn't see her friend anymore from the rush of the sand, but she could see the blood. She raised her hand to deliver the final blow and when it came down nothing happened. She glanced up at the sand that was hovering in the air, she tried to move it but it wouldn't budge.

"NATSUMI!" Gaara yelled, glaring down at his daughter. He wouldn't deny that he was absolutely in awe of his daughter's strength, but she was using it in the wrong way. Her pale gaze shot up at her father's. How _dare_ he stop her. That was when her face fell and her stomach dropped. She looked back at Minako, completely mortified. What had she done?!

She started to run forward, she needed to heal her friend. She felt awful, she was the worst person alive. But before she could move her brother and sister shoved past her and were by Minako's side instantly. Both were healing her, worried expressions plastered on their faces.

Akito ran past Natsumi then and fell on his knees next to his best friend. "Minako! Minako, speak to me, are you okay? Is she going to be okay?" Akito asked, looking from the fallen girl to Toshiro.

"Sh-shiro-kun? Akito-kun?" she asked softly, unable to see her friends clearly since her vision was so blurry.

Natsumi was wide eyed, everything was slowly sinking in. She was a monster, she had tried to kill one of her best friends. Tears formed in her eyes, and she turned around and ran for the exit. She was so ashamed of herself.

Satomi pushed Akito off from her shoulder. "She's going to be fine." She told him, running her glowing hands over her damaged body. It was healing nicely though, and Minako could feel all her body parts once more.

Reassured that she would be fine, Akito looked around for Natsumi. When he couldn't find her began to get worried. So he stood and left through the exit, sharingan activated to better sense her chakra. When he found it he walked over to her. "Natsumi, are you alright?" he asked, reaching a hand out towards her.

She jerked away from him, glaring at him through tear filled eyes. "Please leave me alone. Just go to Minako…you need to tell Satomi and Toshiro to make sure they healed her internal organs that I destroyed…" she walked away from him then. She knew he would hate her now, Minako was important to him and she had done the unspeakable. Before he could say anything she disappeared in a swirl of sand, gone without a trace.

So he did all that he could do. He went back and told Toshiro and Satomi what Natsumi had told him. Satomi and Toshiro moved their hands to her shoulder and her side. "Um…" Satomi looked a bit nervous, as did Toshiro. "MOM!" they both yelled. They were appalled, they couldn't heal this kind of damage yet, nor did they even know how Natsumi did it.

Sakura was down there in an instant, her hands glowing green and healing Minako's shoulder. She didn't know her sweet, innocent Natsumi was capable of such damage. But, then again, she _was_ more like her mother, and she did have a tendency to be cruel to her enemies when thoroughly pissed off. But Minako was her friend, so she didn't understand why Natsumi had done this.

Once Minako's shoulder was healed Sakura healed her side and then did a scan of the young girl's body, making sure that everything was okay. Pleased with her children's work, she stood, allowing for her son to help Minako up. "She will be fine now; you two did an excellent job. When we get home I will teach you how to heal that sort of damage. Toshiro, carry her to the stands, I don't want her walking just yet." She ordered, trying to keep a reign on her worry.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded and grabbed Minako tenderly, avoiding her sensitive areas. Anko reluctantly held her hand up, announcing that Natsumi had won the match, because in all truth, she had. Satomi and Akito went back up to the perch and remained silent. Toshiro finally got Minako up to the platform and sat her down in a chair. "You alright?" he asked her, standing right by her side.

"Yes Shiro-kun, don't worry about me I will be fine." She said, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "I'm just worried about Natsumi-chan. Is she going to be okay?" she asked, concern all over her face.

A look of astonishment crossed his face, "You're worried about Natsumi? She's a freaking psychopath right now. I wouldn't worry about her." He said, shaking his head. "As long as you're okay."

"I'll be fine, I promise. I told you I was tougher than I look didn't I?" she asked, smiling up at him, though the slight quiver of her bottom lip proved otherwise. "You just concentrate on your fight with Akito-kun. Satomi-chan can watch over me while you're gone okay?" she said, patting his hand weakly, trying to make him feel better about the situation.

He nodded and looked over at Akito. "You ready?" he asked.

"I was born ready." Akito said with a smirk, moving all his attention onto his fight. He would make his father proud this time. Then he left the balcony and walked down toward the arena.

Toshiro followed and took his place on the field. Gaara looked at his wife as she made her way back up to the podium. "What's the damage? I've never seen Satomi call for you before."

"She dislocated Minako's shoulder and sent harmful chakra to the tissue, causing it to be slowly eaten away. She even destroyed some of her internal organs using that technique. Gaara, I didn't even know she knew how to do that." She said, voice full of worry. "If I hadn't been here, I don't know what would have happened to her."

"But my daughter's okay? Minako will be okay?" Naruto asked worriedly. Shuhei hadn't stopped crying out to see his sister since he had seen her almost die, and Naruto needed some sort of reassurance to tell his crying son.

"Well, well, well." Yuki smiled happily. "So daddy's perfect little Natsumi messed up. She kinda looked like she wanted to kill Mina. And Satomi isn't that great either if she couldn't heal her." The red headed girl was bubbling with excitement from her sisters' failures.

"Don't sound so happy about what happened to my sister!" Shuhei yelled, sending the redhead an angry glare. He would have lunged at her in his rage had his father not been holding him.

"Shut up Shuhei! She's fine isn't she? So just calm your annoying little head down." She glared at him, the famous Sabaku glare. It shut him right up. "So dad," she tugged on his leg and looked up at him. "Looks like Natsumi failed daddy. I told you she was going to go crazy."

Gaara glanced down and picked Yuki up, giving her a silencing glare. "Be quiet Yuki, you should not be proud of your family's faults."

"You aren't perfect either sweetie. Nobody is." Sakura told her daughter, placing a hand on her husband's arm.

"Lemme at her dad! I'll teach her a lesson about the importance of bonds!" Shuhei yelled, wriggling to get out of his father's grasp.

Hinata was before her son then. "Shuhei." She said in her quiet voice. He quieted down and held his arms out to her. She took him wordlessly, patting him on the back. He continued to glare at Yuki from his perch, sticking his tongue out at her in the process.

Naruto gave his wife a flabbergasted look. Why was it that their kids always listened to her, and she didn't even have to say anything?! It wasn't fair.

Gaara handed Yuki over to Sakura and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

He glanced back and continued on. "I have to go find my daughter." He said simply. He saw that look and her pure bliss of destruction. He sighed, so Natsumi wasn't as much like Sakura as he thought. He needed to make sure she was alright. He knew what it felt like to realize you had almost destroyed something you love.

"Gaara." Sakura said softly.

He stopped fully and turned around to face her. "What?"

"You need to stay for Toshiro's fight. Let Natsumi cool off on her own. Right now your son needs you." She said, knowing that Natsumi would want some time to herself to think about her actions. It would only make things worse if people crowded her. "You can find her when this is all over."

He somewhat glared at his wife, she didn't seem to understand. But knew it was pointless to argue. He sat back down and looked forward, "If she kills anyone Naruto, its Sakura's fault, not hers." He said simply. Yes Toshiro's fight was important, but he really didn't want any more breakouts to happen.

"It usually is Sakura-chan's fault." Naruto said with humor. He sat back in his chair and got comfortable.

Anko looked up at the balcony and made sure that the Kage's were ready. Getting a nod from Naruto, she looked at the two boys in front of her. Not really caring if they were ready or not, she gave the signal that the match could start.

Akito activated his sharingan, which now held all three tomoe. Toshiro had to suppress the smile, "Awesome Akito, I can't believe your sharingan is already so strong!" he formed a couple of hand signs and his sand began to break apart the earth, changing the terrain quickly into a desert-scape. As long as he was surrounded by sand he could win. Toshiro punched through the air, sending bursts of sand at the Uchiha.

Akito cursed silently to himself. There wasn't any water around, so he didn't know how he was going to be able to overcome the sand. Akito suppressed his smirk. "Well I can't believe you've gotten so good with the sand." He complimented, shifting into a defensive stance.

"Well I knew you were getting stronger…I couldn't very well let you pass me up." He smirked back, moving his hands around, causing the sand covering the entire ground to swirl around like a whirlpool. It began to sink into the earth, sucking up the rocks and tree branches from the area, dragging Akito closer to the center.

Akito jumped out of the sand and landed on the wall of the arena, using chakra to keep himself attached. He withdrew a kunai from his pouch and took off across the arena, using his inhuman speed. He wasn't as fast as Natsumi, but he was fast enough to remain almost unseen.

He came up behind the redhead and pushed off the wall, heading straight for his back. Sand wrapped around its master, guarding him from any attack he might dish out. He glanced back, letting his sand start to fight for him. It lashed out at Akito, trying to wrap around any ligament it could get its grains on.

He dodged the sand skillfully, having practiced all these years in evasive moves, knowing that he would fight Toshiro again someday. Jumping into the air, he flipped and landed right in front of the startled boy. Making eye contact with his friend, he sent him into a light genjutsu, designed to traumatize him slightly. What Toshiro was being shown was what would have happened to Natsumi all those years ago had his parents not saved her. He knew that it would upset him, and felt a little guilty, but he wanted to win this fight.

Toshiro was frozen in place, a vacant look on his face. It then turned into one of horror and suddenly he shut his eyes tightly, feeling the tears start to slide down his face. His fists clenched and suddenly the sand exploded around him, trying to protect his sister from the unreal danger.

Gaara got up and stared down at the conflict. He didn't understand why Toshiro was freaking out, until there was a loud yell.

"NATSUMI!" the redhead screamed, thrashing around then. The sand was slamming against everything, taking down the walls of the arena. Finally, some of his sand surrounded his hand and crushed it, breaking his pinky. He yelled out again and opened his eyes, looking around at the stadium. The swirling sand dropped instantly. He was breathing hard now, looking around for Akito. Once he spotted him he ran at him, pulling his fist back and aiming for his face. "How could you do that?!" he yelled, more than a little angry.

Akito jumped backwards, effectively dodging the fist aimed at his face. "I'm not holding back on this fight, Toshiro. You should know that. And I don't want you to hold back either." The Uchiha said seriously, aiming a punch of his own at his friend's face.

Sasuke smirked at his son's admission. He was pretty sure what the Sabaku boy had been shown, and was proud that his son had taken the initiative, even though it was against his best friend.

Toshiro's glare hardened and he quickly grabbed the fist, the strain that he placed on Akito's fist earned a loud snap and crack from his bones. He grabbed his wrist and threw him with all his might into the nearby wall, satisfied with the loud smack that came with the impact. "Fine." He said, raising his sand, and pounding away at the Uchiha much like Natsumi had been doing to Minako.

Of course, Akito wasn't stupid enough to be caught in that trap. Once his hand had been broken he had performed a replacement jutsu. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to do his jutsu with only one hand. He could do it, but it would take longer. Doing the proper signs, he sent out the fire jutsu that his family was famous for, just as he had in their first fight. Only this time it was much larger.

Without turning around, Toshiro held his hand up, the sand dunes formed higher into a wave and collapsed over the fireball, snuffing it out in an instant. With more quick hand signs, the sand shot out at Akito, forming spikes that shot from the ground towards his vitals. There were so many that even with his sharingan he couldn't avoid them all. Three grazed his skin, one slicing his neck, another on his left arm, and the last on his leg. The one on his already damaged arm was the deepest of the three, but he was otherwise untouched.

Now that blood had been drawn Akito was ready to end the fight. He ran backwards until he was at the top of the arena wall. Gathering his chakra, he formed a chidori in his good hand. Then in a burst of speed, he was flying down the wall towards his friend.

Sasuke stood up from his chair at this. "Makes you think back on the old days doesn't it guys?" Naruto asked his two friends, referring to their own Chuunin Exam.

"Hn." Was all the Uchiha said. He would rather not think about his dark days, as he called them.

Gaara stood beside Naruto and Sasuke took his other side. "Hm." He replied, watching intently. "I wonder how it will end this time." Gaara sighed, he wanted his son to win, but he knew the full power of that chidori firsthand.

Toshiro stood his ground, letting his sand wrap around him and provide a small barrier. He had heard about this move from his father and just how unstoppable it really was. But if he could hit Akito first and the chidori never made contact he would win. Akito took off running down the wall, dragging his lightning with him. The redhead steadied himself, burying his feet in the sand and locking himself in place. This was it. The time it took Akito to get to him was a lot shorter than he had anticipated. His sand shot up at an angle, forming the spike once more. Just as one of the solidified cones impaled Akito's shoulder, his charged hand slammed into Toshiro's. Both went wide eyed at the pain that shot through their bodies. The lightning died down and the sand slid back to the ground, causing the two to fall forward and land on their fronts.

As Anko called it a draw, Minako was jumping over the balcony rail with a bit of difficulty. She landed on the arena floor and faltered a bit, still weak from her previous fight. Stumbling over to the two, she landed on her knees next to the redhead. "Shiro-kun!" She exclaimed, rolling him over and laying his head in her lap. "Shiro-kun are you okay?" she asked, eyes and voice full of worry.

His answer was incoherent, since he was half conscious from the chakra surging through his body. Satomi followed Minako's lead and jumped down the wall, landing gracefully on the ground. She ran up beside them and slid on the sand, halting beside the two. She placed her hands on their heads and sighed. "They're fine. They're just idiots." She poked Akito, who groaned loudly.

Minako leaned her head closer to Toshiro's mouth so she could understand him better. "What did you say Shiro-kun? I couldn't hear you."

"Ow…" he repeated, smiling up at her with a pained expression. He turned his head to the other side, looking at his fallen friend. "Huh too bad you like a psycho Akito, cause I got myself a nurse here." He snickered, rolling onto his back fully and staring at Minako. "Hey…wait…what are you doing out here?! You're supposed to be resting!" he glared at her, taking a deep breath to steady his head.

She returned his glare. "I'm making sure you are okay, what does it look like?!" she asked, raising her voice slightly.

"You almost got killed! Satomi way to fail at your job." He rolled his eyes, getting a smack on the head from his sister.

"Just for that, I'm only healing Akito." She said simply, placing her hands on the hole in the Uchiha's shoulder. It slowly closed and the bleeding stopped instantly.

"Thanks." Akito said, beginning to sit up.

Minako crossed her arms and glared down at him. "I told you I was fine. You're the one who has a hole in his shoulder." She retorted.

"So? Almost every bone in your body was broken and your insides were destroying themselves!" he pointed, wincing from the pain of movement.

Satomi got up and rolled her eyes, her brother was stupid sometimes. "So these things are over right? I can leave?" she asked Anko, who nodded.

"Go ahead." she pointed off.

Noticing that Toshiro still wasn't healed Minako reached into her pouch and pulled out a small container. She unscrewed the cap and scooped some of the gel onto her fingers. Rubbing some on the redhead's wound, she looked into his eyes. "How does this feel? This ointment should help fasten the healing process and lessen the pain." She informed him, making sure that she got the whole wound.

He watched her and nodded, "Yeah it feels better and I can just heal the rest later or have my mom do it." He smiled up at her and relaxed, but then his face fell. "I'm sorry…that Natsumi tried to kill you."

"Don't worry about it Shiro-kun, it's all in the past." She told him with a smile. She didn't like to dwell on things that made her unhappy, and in all honesty, she knew that it was partially, if not completely, her fault that Natsumi had gotten the way she had.

Just then Sasuke was in the arena standing before his son. "Akito." He said, voice flat.

The young Uchiha stood quickly, brushing what dirt he could off of his clothes. "Yes father?" he asked tentatively. He knew what was coming. He would be told all the things he needed to improve on and when his training would start back up.

Instead, Sasuke reached out and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Well done…I'm…proud of you son." He said a bit awkwardly.

A small smile came to the boy's face then. "Thanks…dad."

Gaara was down there next, looking down at his own son. "Good job Toshiro, I'm surprised you almost countered the chidori." He tried to smile, but he found it difficult to be happy when any of his children were in a bad emotional state. He helped his son up, who staggered a bit but then focused his chakra to his hands and began healing the treated wounds.

He turned to Minako and gave her a thankful nod, "Thanks! That stuff really works. It feels better than before!"

"You're welcome Shiro-kun. It's a Hyuuga specialty." Minako said with a small smile, blushing slightly at his compliment.

Akito looked over to the elder redhead. "Do we need to stay for anything? I want to go find Natsumi."

Anko shook her head, "The Jounins have seen the fights and will decide who becomes a Chuunin. So you can all leave if you want. I'm off to find Kakashi." She snickered, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Gaara glanced down at the Uchiha and shook his head. "This is not a matter for you to concern yourself with. I appreciate your help earlier but you do not understand what is happening to her." He said simply, walking past Sasuke but stopping for a moment.

He looked back once more at the younger boy and then to Sasuke. "You've…got a really good kid." he told him, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and then walking off and out of sight.

"So do you…" Sasuke said quietly. Then he left, not one for semi-awkward situations.

Minako struggled to stand, her muscles and organs still weak from her fight. Her father was next to her then, along with Hinata and Shuhei. The young boy ran over to her. "Mina!" he yelled, wrapping his arms around her legs in a fierce hug. She almost fell over from the impact, and winced slightly at the contact. Despite the pain though, she smiled fondly at her little brother.

"Hey buddy. Did you like watching all the fights?" she asked.

Crystal eyes looked up at her. "Yeah I really did! You guys were all so cool! I can't wait to be as strong as you Mina! Or Akito-nii-san!" he exclaimed, looking at the two in silent worship.

"Thanks kid." Akito said, walking up and ruffling the boy's hair.

Hinata smiled at the whole interaction. Then she noticed the strain standing was putting on her daughter. "Minako, why didn't you say anything about your pain?" Hinata asked, brow scrunching in worry over her oldest child.

"I'm fine momma, really." She said, trying to reassure the elder woman.

"Don't lie to your mother Minako. You know she can tell when you're in pain." Naruto scolded. Then he turned to the young Uchiha. "Akito, take my daughter to the hospital. She needs her rest, and I want her to be watched over until she is fit to leave." The Hokage ordered.

"Yes sir." Akito said, picking up his friend, who protested. He turned to Toshiro then. "I am sorry about the genjutsu…I just thought that if seeing that would upset me, it would upset you too. My only other option was one with snakes…and if I can't imagine that happening to me, I would never be able to picture it happening to somebody else. They're just too creepy." Akito said with a slight shiver.

Toshiro laughed, waving it off. "It's no problem Akito." He said with a nod. "I know you just weren't holding back. It was my fault for not going at you with my all from the get go. Besides…" his grin turned to an evil smirk. "Now all my suspicions are confirmed." He said simply, placing his hand on Minako's head. "I hope you get better Minako! I'll stop by later and bring you some ramen!" and with that he left in a soft breeze of sand.

Akito just stood there, staring at the empty space where his friend had previously been. What suspicions was he talking about? Before he could contemplate it further, Minako hit him in the shoulder. "Hurry up Akito-kun! The faster we get to the hospital the sooner I can get my ramen and see Shiro-kun again!" she exclaimed with a pout.

"We'll stop by later sweetie." Naruto said, picking up his son and walking away with his wife.

With a sigh Akito carried his friend to the hospital and got her checked into a room. Not wanting to leave her alone, he sat in the chair next to the bed while she slept. He was still worried about Natsumi. She had looked so broken. He only hoped that her father knew what he was doing and would be able to make things better.

* * *

It wasn't too hard to find his depressed little daughter. Her aura was darker than a night with no moon and her sand was moving as if she had murdered someone. He sighed, appearing behind the girl. She was sitting on one of the large bridges in Konoha over a deep river. This was very odd, since Natsumi was scared to death of water. "Please go away." She mumbled sadly, not bothering to turn around and greet her father.

Ignoring her request he took a seat beside her and let his legs hang off the edge just as hers were. "This is different. I thought you hated water." He said simply, leaning forward and looking down at the clear blue liquid.

"I do…I'm debating on falling in and letting myself sink to the bottom so I can drown." She sighed and pressed herself against one of the metal railings.

"It's not your fault Natsumi, you shouldn't be so down. Minako isn't even mad at you." He tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but her sand rose defensively. He decided not to force his way in, even though he could. It would only upset her more.

"You don't understand dad. I tried to kill my best friend, you have no idea what it's like to try and kill someone you love. It's not the same as killing enemies." She glared out at the forest. She was disgusted with herself.

A pain shot through Gaara's chest. He had hoped he would never have to tell his children about what he'd done to Sakura. They knew about the Chuunin Exams and their battle, but not about their meeting. "Natsumi…I do understand."

"No you don't dad. I know you tried to kill mom when you were little but this is different, this wasn't for the village. It was to win, I _wanted_ to do it. I _did_ do it. I dealt the final blow without hesitation, she'd be dead if you hadn't stopped the sand."

Gaara sighed and broke through his daughters shield, setting his hand on Natsumi's shoulder. "Natsumi I tried to kill your mom fifteen years ago. And let me save you from the math, it was a year before Toshiro was born, right before she and I got married. I thought she had betrayed me and I tried to kill her, I wanted to kill her. But you need to understand that you didn't. And just because you would have…all it takes is your resolve to never do it again. Which I know you already have."

Natsumi stared at her dad, tears filling her eyes. "You tried to kill mom again? After you were grown up?"

"At least three times," he admitted and then looked away. "But don't tell her I told you, she doesn't like to think about it. Not because it reminds her, she doesn't like being reminded of the pain she caused me. But look, I love your mom more than anything and I would never do anything to hurt her. Relationships aren't sunshine and flowers like you think Natsumi…they are very messy and I feel like you might have to find that out the hard way. People are going to betray you, whether in one big way or a million small ones. The key is, is your love for them enough to overcome those hurts?"

"But everyone was so worried and they all ran to Minako, they're all mad at me. How am I supposed to fix that?" she wondered.

"No one is mad at you." he smiled and bent over to kiss the top of her head. "Minako was worried about you, Toshiro was just upset because you showed him up at the exams. Though his fight was very action packed. He and Akito tied."

"Oh my gosh! I missed Akito's fight!" she gasped and then hit herself in the head. "God he probably hates me for doing that to Minako."

Gaara sighed, girls really were not his forte, especially when they were extremely emotional like Sakura. "Sweetheart, Akito doesn't hate you, he wanted to come after you, but I told him he needed to wait to talk to you."

"Really?" her eyes brightened, "he wanted to come and find me?"

Gaara nodded and was a bit startled when Natsumi shot up, her mood swings were definitely from Sakura. "I've got to go find Minako and apologize! I hope she's alright." Then she ran off, stopped, and waved back at her dad. "Thanks dad!" she ran back and kissed him on the cheek before taking off again. The redhead blinked and stared after her.

"You're welcome?" he said to no one and then stood slowly. "I can't believe that worked, I had no idea what I was saying half the time." He laughed and then disappeared, off to find his lovely lady.

* * *

Natsumi ran down the halls of the hospital, checking the numbers to make sure she didn't pass the one Minako was in. She slid to a stop and grabbed the door knob, pushing the door in. She yelped when she collided with Akito right in the doorway.

"Akito!" she gasped and went a dark red.

He looked down at the startled girl and smiled. Exiting the room, he shut the door so that he could talk to her without Minako hearing. "Hey squirt. How are you doing?" he asked, his teasing manner turning into one of concern.

She stared at him wide eyes, not able to find any words or force them out. "Um…alright." She finally managed.

"That's good." He said. Then he leaned forward and smirked at her. "You know…you missed my amazing fight with your brother."

"I know, I know." Her blush darkened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I wanted to watch. I would have cheered for you."

"It's fine. You'll just have to make it up to me." He said with a suggestive smile.

Somehow her face went an even darker red, "M-make it up to you? How?"

He leaned in so that their noses were almost touching. "I'll think of something and let you know." Then he stood up straight and nodded towards the door. "I'll leave you two alone. She's been worried about you."

"Oh." her blush slowly faded to a respectable pink. "Alright. I guess…just tell me when you've decided how I can make it up." She smiled and gave him a tight apologetic hug, before going into the hospital room. She shut the door quietly behind her and stopped at the foot of Minako's bed.

Sensing her friend in the room, Minako sat up with a bit of difficulty, wincing slightly at the pain. She had been changed out of her bloody and torn clothes, now in a hospital gown, with a few bandages wrapped around the more serious areas that would take more intensive healing. She gave the pink haired girl a look of relief. "Natsumi-chan! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you too badly did I?" she asked, voice full of concern.

"Yes…I'm fine Minako." She tried to keep her voice steady but the truth was she was about to start crying. She made her way to her friend's side and pushed her back down so she could lay there. Natsumi placed her hand on Minako's side and her shoulder and started healing the tissue, apparently if you didn't know what was damaged you wouldn't be able to heal it all the way. All the lingering pain inside the girl was suddenly gone and Natsumi pulled her hands away. "Minako...I'm….I'm so, so sorry." She choked out, unable to stop her tears.

"Its fine Natsumi-chan, I don't blame you. It was a fight, and there weren't any rules. I would have been upset if you held back." Minako said, trying to comfort her friend.

She shook her head, "I'm still sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did. I should have stopped myself. I'm sorry." She lowered her head, her grip on the sheets was very tight.

Minako wrapped her arms around her friend in a hug. "It's okay, don't blame yourself. I'm fine now, and we can just put this behind us." She was wide eyed, but then wrapped her arms around Minako, letting herself cry into her shoulder. She didn't deserve such a good friend.

"Besides, if you look at the relationship between Sasuke-san and my father, our fight is nothing." Minako said with a bit of humor in her voice.

Natsumi blinked and pulled a bit away, "What do you mean?"

"You've never heard about it?" Minako asked, a brow raised. At her friend's negative response she continued. "Well, when our parents were Genin, Sasuke-san left the village to train with Orochimaru so that he could kill his older brother. My daddy tried to stop him, and Sasuke-san almost killed him. Then, years later, they met again. And that time Sasuke-san would have killed my father had he not been weakened from an earlier fight. That was when my dad decided that he and Sasuke-san were destined to have a huge fight and kill each other. But, in the end, your father captured Sasuke-san and he was brought back here. He and my dad did fight, but it was more for old times' sake. And they're the best of friends now." She finished, giving her friend a wide smile. "So as long as we don't make things that complicated, I think we'll be okay."

"Wow," Natsumi blinked and looked up, she hadn't heard about that. Now she wondered why her father had hated Sasuke so much. She would have to find out, she nodded and then smiled at Minako. "I'm so glad you're alright Minako. I promise I won't ever do anything like that again." She nodded and gave the girl another hug.

The door opened and Toshiro walked in with a large bowl and chopsticks in his hand. "Oh, hi Natsumi! You feeling better?" he asked his sister, who nodded and gave him a warm smile.

He smiled back and then focused on Minako, "Here you go Minako. I got your favorite." He offered her the bowl as Natsumi pulled away.

"Well I'll leave you two then." she waved and hurried out. She didn't want to be a third wheel. Minako took the bowl from Toshiro and gasped with excitement.

"Thanks so much Shiro-kun!" she started eating immediately with a laughing redhead beside her.

"No problem, I just hope you get better."

Minako slurped the ramen down and giggled, "This will do just the thing!"

The Suna shinobi stayed in Konoha for two more days as the final results of the exam were configured. Shortly after they left the village was attacked by Lightning. But thanks to Natsumi's premonition, it lasted no longer than a day. Akito wrote to her the minute things died down, and the young ninjas resumed their lives, waiting anxiously for the next time they got to see each other.


	5. Debt Repaid

**Toshiro - 17**

**Satomi - 15**

**Natsumi - 15**

**Yuki - 8**

**Minako - 15**

**Shuhei - 8**

**Akito - 16**

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Debt Repaid-

_**Three Years Later…**_

"Mina! Akito-nii-san! You'll never guess who's here!" an energetic blonde boy yelled, running into the backyard behind the Uchiha Manor.

"Who?" Akito asked, halting in his and Minako's spar.

"Those weirdoes from sand with their crazy hair!" He announced, halting before the two.

"Shiro-kun is here?!" Minako asked, voice full of hope. Before her question was answered she grabbed Akito's hand. "Come on Akito-kun!"

They disappeared from the backyard then, leaving behind an upset Shuhei. "Hey! Wait for me!" he shouted, running back out through the gate.

They appeared at the gate and before anyone knew what was going on, Minako lunged at the redhead and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Shiro-kun! You're back!" she exclaimed happily.

"Ahh!" he yelled, the sudden hug scaring him a bit. Finally he realized it was Minako and hugged her back awkwardly. "Oh hi Minako," he said, letting go then and taking a step back to look at her. He seemed a bit different. His hair was longer, hiding more of his eyes than it had before. His expression wasn't as bright as it had been either. "How are you?" he asked formally.

Satomi and Natsumi giggled, watching the two. They had changed a lot as well. Satomi's hair was even longer than before, but still braided and hanging over her shoulder. Natsumi's hair was a bit longer, her bangs were just past her nose and her hair only touched the base of her neck. "Hi Minako." they said together, with matching smiles. Even Satomi had missed their friend.

She let go of the redhead and gave him a strange look. He was different than he used to be. Then she turned to her friends and hugged them as well. "Hi guys! I'm so glad to see you." She said, pulling back. She hadn't changed much. She still looked a lot like her twelve year old self, the only difference being that she was a bit taller and her pony tail went past her shoulders to the middle of her back. Though, unlike when she was twelve, she had finally started to develop breasts, though they were small, and looked like they belonged on a fourteen year old.

Akito walked up then, having got over the initial shock of seeing the group. "Hey Toshiro." He said, nodding at the redhead. He had gotten a lot taller over the years. His hair was a bit longer and untamed looking, and his shoulders were broader.

"Hey Akito." he gave the Uchiha a small smile, but it was nothing like he'd seen before. "How've you been? What's it been, three years?"

"Yeah, I've been good. I'm a Jounin now." He announced, bragging a bit. "I've got some new jutsu and stuff if you wanna spar later." He said, smirking at his childhood friend.

Toshiro matched his smirk and nodded. "I'm always ready for a spar with you."

Natsumi glanced past Minako, a bit peeved that the Uchiha hadn't said anything to her yet, but she assumed it was a guy thing. It didn't make her any less upset though. It was then that Yuki pushed past her sisters and glared at them, hugging Minako. "Hi Mina!"

"Hey Yuki! You've gotten so big!" Minako said, hugging the girl back.

"I know! I think I've gotten prettier than my sisters." She nodded, smiling triumphantly. Both Satomi and Natsumi crossed their arms and stared at their sister.

Before Minako could say anything Shuhei ran up. Looking straight at Yuki, he said, "Wow! Your hair is so pretty! Can I touch it?" he asked curiously, reaching a hand forward.

"No!" she glared, smacking his hand away. "Why do you always want to touch my hair you creeper?!"

"Because it's pretty! Can I please touch it?! It looks almost as soft as Mina's hair." He asked, reaching his hand out again.

"Shuhei, knock it off." Akito said, ruffling the boy's hair. He didn't know what gifts the youngest Sand sibling possessed and he didn't want to find out now. Then he looked over at Natsumi. "Hey squirt, I see you're still short." He teased.

Her irritated gaze only increased. "Hey! I got taller! Don't pretend like I'm still as short as I was." She huffed. She had gotten his attention, but not in the way she wanted.

Shuhei continued to chase Yuki around, leaving their sights as they disappeared into the village, causing an uproar. Toshiro stared after them and panicked a bit. "Uh come on Minako, we don't want Yuki to hurt him." He said, running after their siblings with the dark haired girl following.

Satomi looked after them and then at Akito. "Yeah nice to see you too Uchiha." She rolled her eyes and strolled past him. She didn't want to be around him and her sister.

"Whatever." He said. Now that they were alone he could talk to Natsumi about what had been on his mind since they had left after the Chuunin Exams three years ago. He walked over to her. "So…I figured out how you can make it up to me." He said, giving her a devilish smile.

She arched her brow a bit confused, "Make what up to you?" she wondered, and then a light bulb went off. "Oh my gosh, you really have been keeping track of that?" she laughed, giving him a tender smile. "All right Akito, what is it? What do I have to do to make it up to you for missing your match? Train with you? Spar? Get you a present?" she teased a bit, leaning towards him.

"No, none of that." He said, leaning towards her as well. "You are going to go to dinner with me. One whole night, just the two of us. No interruptions, no nothing." He told her, completely serious.

Her expression turned instantly into one of surprise and a dark blush slowly crept up her cheeks. "Wh-what?" she gulped, feeling her stomach tighten and her heart start to race. Was he asking her on a date?!

"You have to let me take you to dinner." He repeated. Then his expression fell. "Unless you don't want to…then I suppose I could come up with something else…"

"No!" she yelled, taking his hand in hers. "I would love to!" her blush went darker then. Did she appear too desperate? "I just wasn't expecting it…" she trailed off and smiled at him. "I really, really want to though. Just me and you? No one else?" she asked once more, just to make sure.

"Of course. That way we can spend some quality time together doing something other than training. I thought you would like that." He said, giving her a small smile.

She nodded and laced her fingers with his. "I do. I really, really like it. What time? I'll have to go get my mom and go buy something nice and wash my hair and get ready…" she trailed off and then blushed once more. She hoped he wasn't freaked out by how excited she was.

He chuckled softly at her. "We can meet in the park around seven. Is that enough time?" he asked, mentally going over everything that he would need to do in order to get ready as well.

"Okay!" she laughed and got up on her tip toes, kissing his cheek sweetly. "I'll see you tonight then! I can't wait!" she told him, before running off to find her mother.

Akito stared after her, a small smile gracing his lips. Then he blinked, "Crap…I don't know how I'm supposed to get ready for this thing." He sighed and walked off in the direction Minako and Toshiro had disappeared. "I better go find Toshiro."

* * *

Natsumi ran out of her room, hopping a bit as she tried to slide on her white flip flops. She stopped and leaned against the wall, getting the other on. She walked in front of the mirror by the door and smoothed out her new dress. It was white and only went down to her mid thighs. It had short sleeves, like a t-shirt, with a v-neck. There were a few ruffles at the bottom of the dress, causing it to poof out a bit around her legs. She ran her hands through her hair and tried to give it a small fluff so it had a little more volume.

Gaara glanced up from his spot in the living room. He was going over some scrolls Naruto had given him to review. "Where are you going?" he asked, uninterested and then taking note of what she was wearing.

"I've got a date tonight dad." she said without thinking about it.

Gaara went wide eyed and sat up from his leisurely position. "What do you mean? With who?!" he demanded. Sakura rolled her eyes. She was on the couch reading a book to occupy her time.

"Who do you think?" the older pink haired woman said, turning a page.

"Is it that Uchiha punk?!"

Natsumi growled and turned to look at her father. "Yes dad, it's with Akito. Now please can you not freak out, I don't want to be later than I already am." She said simply and headed for the door.

"I do _not_ approve of this! And where did you get that dress?" he glared, standing up from his seat then.

"Mom got it for me today! God what is this, twenty questions?!" she glared over at her dad. She really didn't want to deal with this right now. She was fifteen for goodness sake. She should be allowed to go on dates if she wanted.

"I agree dad, I don't think Natsumi should go." Satomi said, walking out of their room with an annoyed look on her face.

"Well I think she should, and my opinion counts ten times more than all of yours." Sakura said, turning another page in her book.

"Thanks mom!" Natsumi ran over to her and gave her a fierce hug. "Bye! I'll be back later! I don't know when! So bye!" she waved and then ran out the door before her father could get in another word.

Gaara glared over at his wife. "Why are you okay with this?"

"Why aren't you okay with this?" she countered, putting her book down and looking at her husband. "She's young Gaara, give her a chance to live a little. She never goes out with any of the boys in Suna." Sakura pointed out.

He just crossed his arms, Satomi huffed. "That's because she won't give them a chance. It's all Akito's fault."

"Whatever you say sweetie. But you know, she's been hung up on him since they first met." Sakura said. "And if she comes home too late you can always ground her or something, though I doubt she will, since she'll want to see him again I'm sure."

The redhead scowled and took a seat once more. He wasn't too comfortable with idea of his precious little angel out with an Uchiha.

* * *

Toshiro groaned, lying on his back on Akito's bed. His head hung over the edge, watching his friend rummage through his closet. He had just showered and was trying to find something to wear. "You know, when you tracked me down and dragged me over here I thought it was because you wanted to train." he huffed, tossing a ball up in the air and catching it as it fell. He continued to repeat the action and sighed. "But nooooooo, you wanted me so I could help you get ready for your _date_ with my sister." He stuck out his tongue as if the idea repulsed him.

"It is not a date." Akito said pulling out two shirts. Turning to his friend, he asked, "Now which one looks better?"

"Yeah it is and…" he scrunched his brow, sitting up and turning around to face his friend. "What do you mean which one looks better? They're both black!"

"Yeah, but they are completely different in how they fit. This one is baggier than the other." He said, wriggling the one in his left hand. "And it isn't a date. It's just two friends going out to dinner and possibly a walk if it isn't too late."

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Which is a date. A guy and a girl all by themselves eating a romantic dinner and a moonlight walk? Am I missing the memo where the definition of date was changed?" he asked, pointing to the more form fitting of the two black shirts.

"Oh just shut up. I never said the dinner was going to be romantic or anything." Akito said, putting the shirt on. Then he walked over to the mirror on his closet door and began to mess with his hair, trying to make it look nice. "If you're so bothered by me not being here to train why don't you go find Minako? It's not like she'll be doing anything tonight."

"Fine whatever." Toshiro rolled out of bed and got to his feet, straightening his shirt. He walked over to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "By the way Natsumi likes white roses, maybe you should get her one." He snickered, waving as he left the room.

Akito just threw a shoe at him without looking. Should he get her a rose? But wouldn't that make it even more like a date? Oh well, might as well go all out for it.

* * *

Toshiro stalked around the village, looking for his female friend. Stupid Akito and his stupid sister. The redhead stopped when he felt a familiar chakra. He looked over at the park where Minako was playing with some of the village kids. "Hey Minako." Toshiro waved, trying to get her attention.

"Hey Shiro-kun!" she said, running over to him. "I'm surprised to see you here. I would have thought that you and Akito-kun would be beating each other to a pulp by now."

"I did too." he sighed and then shrugged. "But Akito just wanted some help getting ready for his date with my sister. So I came to find you." He said simply.

"They're going on a date?!" she asked, shocked.

He nodded. "Yeah. He asked her this morning when we got here, while you and I were chasing Yuki and Shuhei down. I've never seen Akito acting like this either, it's weird. He asked me what he should wear…and was fixing his hair." He laughed and looked down at her, not really catching her surprise.

"Oh." She said simply. So out of boredom Toshiro had come to find her. Her feelings were hurt by this. Not only that she was Toshiro's second choice for entertainment, but because Akito had asked Natsumi on a date and not her. Weren't she and Akito closer?! Then a sly look came across her face.

"We should spy on them." She told him.

"Why?" Toshiro arched a brow.

"Well…because…" she placed a finger on her chin and looked up, thinking about what to say. Suddenly it hit her. "Because what if Akito-kun tries to get frisky with Natsumi-chan?"

Toshiro went wide eyed. "I hadn't thought about that! You're right! We should probably keep an eye on them."

They both disappeared with his sand, off to find the two.

* * *

He arrived at the park ten minutes early, never one for being late. Seeing that she wasn't there yet, he leaned over the rail to the bridge and checked his reflection. Assured that everything was okay, he began to practice how he would give Natsumi the rose he had gotten her.

Natsumi walked up and stopped, seeing him making odd gestures. She laughed softly and cleared her throat. "Hi Akito." she blushed slightly, waving at him to get his attention.

He turned suddenly and hid the rose behind his back, fighting down the blush that was trying to cover his cheeks. "Hey." Forgetting everything he had been practicing, he walked up to her and shoved the rose forward. "Here, I got this for you." He said, not meeting her gaze out of embarrassment.

She blinked and took it carefully. "Oh wow! Thank you, I love roses." She smiled happily, giving him another kiss on the cheek. "I love it. And wow, you look so handsome." She told him, blushing a bit as well. She could tell he had spent awhile on his outfit and his hair.

"Oh thanks, you look really pretty." He said, trying not to be too embarrassed by her words.

"Thank you." she smiled, though she wished he would actually just look at her. "So…" she pressed the delicate petals against her lips. "Where are we going to eat?"

Minako's jaw dropped. "Did you see that?! He gave her a rose!" she whispered to Toshiro. The two had taken position in a tree nearby, but not too close to be discovered.

"So what? It's a flower." He stated, giving her an odd look.

"Yeah, and every flower has a meaning. Duh." She said, rolling her eyes at him.

Akito looked at her and smiled. "It's a surprise. Come with me." He said, grabbing a hold of her hand and leading her off. They stopped in front of a very familiar restaurant near the Hyuuga District.

She gasped and smiled. "This was where we first met!" she said excitedly, leaning on him happily. She could feel her heart about to explode from its beating. She didn't know if the poor muscle could stand the whole night.

"That's why I picked it." He told her. They walked in and went straight to a table in a secluded corner of the establishment. He pulled her chair out, allowing her to be seated before him. Once he sat down he gave her a small smile. "So you like it?" he asked, a little unsure of himself. He wanted this night to be perfect after all.

"I love it, this is amazing. I can't believe you did all this." She giggled, setting her rose in an empty vase that occupied the table. She looked back at him and smiled." So…you're a Jounin now? That's pretty impressive." Natsumi said, resting her chin on her propped up hands.

"Yeah, I was promoted shortly after the Chuunin Exams. The Elders said that I really proved myself during the attack or some lame excuse like that. In reality they just want me to become some kind of fighting machine, because I'm an Uchiha." He said bitterly. They had done the same thing to his father, but the elder Uchiha had only allowed it to go that far. He refused to join Anbu, wanting to be there for his son, although Akito didn't know this.

She nodded, knowing what he meant. After all her father had gone straight from genin to Kazekage. "I've been thinking of trying to go for Anbu. My dad says that I'm the only one of his children that would actually be good for it. Satomi only likes working in the hospital and my dad is already teaching Toshiro how to be the Kazekage and all that political blah, blah, blah." She laughed and looked up at the waiter that had come.

He smiled at the two and turned to Natsumi. "What can I get for you ma'am?" he asked politely.

"Oh I'll have some lemonade please." she said looking back at Akito. He turned to the Uchiha and gave him an encouraging smile. "You have a very lovely girlfriend Akito. Now I see why you never went after Minako-chan." He laughed, making Natsumi turn bright red.

"She...we're not…oh just give me some water." Akito said, crossing his arms.

He left then, going to go get their drinks. Minako and Toshiro sat down on the opposite side of the restaurant, lifting their menus to block their faces and hair. They created a barrier, peeking over it every now and then. "This is stupid." Toshiro growled, looking over at Minako. "They're just eating dinner."

"Yeah, but you just wait until they go on their walk. There will be plenty of chances for Akito-kun to try something." Then she looked over at him, smiling softly. "So…you wanna get something to eat while we're here? It'll help pass the time." She suggested.

"Fine whatever. I'm starving anyways." he said, a bit irritated. He didn't really want to spend what little time he had with Minako spying on his sister and her date. He looked over the menus that were propped up.

Natsumi placed her menu down and smiled. "So Akito how far are you going to go in the chain? I mean what rank are you going to go for?" she asked.

Before he could answer, three girls ran up to the table, giggling and squealing. "Hi Akito-sama! It's rare to see you not training." Then they noticed the girl sitting with him, who was giving them threatening looks.

"Whatever. Do you mind? We're kinda busy here." He said to the group, annoyed at the interruption.

They looked at Akito and gasped. "You're on a date?!" the girls exclaimed together.

"Yes alright!" Natsumi glared her infamous Sabaku glare. "Now if you don't mind, we'd like to get back to it. So please. Go. Away." She seethed. The waiter was over immediately, ushering them out and scolding them for terrorizing his customers.

"My God…" Natsumi growled, picking up her menu again and reading it to try and calm herself down.

"Sorry about that. Those girls have been stalking me ever since I was little." He told her, glancing back at his menu.

She just waved it off. "It's fine. Toshiro has annoying girls like that that follow him around in Suna. It's pretty creepy. But people should know when to back off something that's already taken." She mumbled and then froze going wide eyed, really hoping he hadn't been paying attention to what she was saying. "So anyways!" she held her menu over her face to hide her dark blush. "What looks good?" she tried to say anything that would move the conversation along.

"I can think of plenty of things that look good." He said, staring straight at her. She glanced up just in time to see his gaze and then returned hers to her menu. The only thing she hated about Akito was how much he made her blush. "But I suppose I'll just get the steak. What about you?"' he asked nonchalantly.

"That sounds good." she nodded, folding her menu and setting it down, trying to even out her breathing.

Minako grabbed Toshiro's arm and tugged it. "What are they talking about?!" she demanded, staring over their menus. "Akito-kun's smirking and staring at Natsumi-chan and she's as red as a cherry."

"I don't _know_ Minako. I'm sitting the same distance from them as you are." He reminded her.

"Oh." She said, looking at her menu to try and decide what she wanted.

After they placed their orders Akito looked back over at Natsumi. "I don't really plan on going any farther at the moment. I mean, I'm just about qualified to join Anbu right now, but I don't see the point in giving the Elders the satisfaction. I will join only if I have a better reason than 'I'm strong enough' or 'It's for the good of the village'. Know what I mean?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I see. I kinda want to because I like a challenge." She laughed. "I mean, they get all the dangerous missions and I like the thrill. I guess that's kind of a lame reason compared to yours though." She shrunk down a bit, feeling a little foolish now.

"No, everyone has their own reasons. I just don't want to feel controlled by those old fools." Akito said. "But yours suits you." He told her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile.

She shrugged. "Yeah I suppose it does. But that's really only if some things don't work out." She glanced up at him and then quickly away.

"What kind of things?" he asked her, curious.

"Oh just some girly things." she blushed. "You wouldn't understand…at least you wouldn't understand yet."

"Okay." He shrugged, dismissing the topic. He didn't really care to hear about girly things anyways. Their food was delivered shortly after, and they ate in a companionable silence.

Seeing that nothing interesting was going on, Minako looked over at her companion. "So Shiro-kun, what have you been up to over the years?" she asked, deciding to use this time to catch up.

"Nothing really." He admitted, they had already gotten their food as well and he was focused on eating. "Just training. My dad's trying to prepare me early so I can become the Kazekage when I turn twenty-one."

"That's cool. My mom has been making me attend all the Clan meetings. And my dad turned me into his assistant, so I have to attend all his meetings as well, and file paperwork and so on. It's really boring and I don't understand why I have to do it, since I'm not part of the clan and Shuhei will become the next Hokage, not me." She said, taking a bite of her pasta.

He shrugged, taking a drink of his water. "You never know with our parents. My dad's pushing Natsumi into Anbu and my mom is teaching Satomi how to run the hospital. I guess they just want us to have futures." He stiffened and lowered down. "They're on the move." He told her, ducking under the table and dragging her down with him.

Akito took Natsumi's hand and lead her past the now vacant table and held the door open for his companion.

"So what now Akito?" Natsumi asked, looking back at him and holding her rose delicately.

"Well it isn't that late yet so do you wanna go on a walk in the park or something? Unless you need to be back at the hotel by a certain time." He said, not wanting her to get in trouble with her father.

She shook her head. "Nope my mom took care of my dad so I can come home whenever…well not the early morning hours but you know what I mean." She said, laughing softly. "But a walk sounds great." As they headed over to the park Minako and Toshiro followed at a respective distance, hopping through the trees.

After walking for a while Akito stopped on a hill and sat down, gesturing for Natsumi to do the same. Once she did, he leaned back on his hands and looked up at the stars. "Nice night." He said a bit awkwardly. He didn't know what to do now, everything he had planned for the night had already happened.

She sat down beside him, as close as she could get without actually touching him. "Yeah, the moon is really pretty." She smiled, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them.

"This isn't good." Minako whispered from their perch in the tree.

"What's not good?" Toshiro asked, giving her a confused look.

"The setting. It's too romantic. You just watch, Akito-kun is gonna make a move soon." She told him, her gaze never leaving the two on the hill.

"I seriously doubt that Akito will-" he stopped and went wide eyed. "Look! Something's happening!" he pointed.

Natsumi turned her body more towards Akito and locked eyes with his. "Thanks Akito, this is nice. I really love it."

"I'm glad you're having fun." He said, turning his head towards her. Then uncertainty flashed across his face. "Natsumi? Do you remember when you were twelve and I was thirteen, and Ken tried to kiss you?" he asked softly. "And then when I rescued you, you said you were saving your first kiss for me and that I would have to earn it?"

She felt her face get hot and nodded slowly. She had said that, but she didn't think he would remember it. "Yeah…I remember. Why?" she gulped, gripping the grass tightly. Was she going to get her first kiss tonight? It would be perfect. They were alone, situated together on a hilltop and watching the moon and the stars.

"Do you…do you think I've earned it?" he asked, leaning towards her a bit.

"Um…" she could tell that even in the dark her face was obviously red. "I think so…I mean, if you want it that is." She whispered, leaning closer to him as well. This was it! She squealed in her head. Their foreheads touched and she could feel his breath on her lips. She hoped she was good at kissing.

She smelled really good, he thought, now that he was close enough. He was really nervous, but knew that after the initial kiss, things would get better. I mean, practice makes perfect right? Just as he was about to lean forward, Natsumi broke away from him, putting her hand on the side of her neck. "Ow!"

Minako smiled in triumph. As she saw them leaning towards each other she had grabbed a large acorn and sent it sailing at her friend's neck. "Bull's-eye!" she whispered.

"What the heck was that?!" she asked, looking around, rubbing her now sore neck.

"Are you okay?!" Akito asked, turning her neck so that he could take a look at her wound. Seeing a red welt, he decided that it wasn't that bad. "Want me to kiss it better?" he asked, smiling at her.

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah it would make it feel better."

He smiled and placed his hand on her jaw, tilting it so that he had better access. Then he made eye contact with her and smirked. Leaning towards her slowly, he gently pressed his lips against the smooth skin of her neck, successfully keeping his blush from showing.

It was if her heart literally stopped beating. There was nothing else besides him and her and his lips on her neck. Oh she could get used to this _real_ fast. She placed her hand on his leg, almost begging him to continue on.

"Oh no Shiro-kun! My plan backfired!" Minako exclaimed, shaking his arm roughly. Suddenly she lost her balance and began to fall out of the tree. Reaching for something to stop her fall, she grabbed Toshiro's shirt, pulling him out of the tree with her. "Aaahh!" she screamed, hitting the ground, Toshiro on top of her.

She looked up into his startled face, hers a deep crimson. Akito and Natsumi were before them then, both of their faces confused and blushing. "What are you guys doing?" the Uchiha asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Toshiro?" Natsumi blinked, trying to make sense of the position he and Minako were in.

"Um…" he drew a blank, he needed a lie and fast. He stared down at Minako, his face dusted with a light pink that went unseen in the dark. "Minako and I were playing…tag! Yes, tag…in the dark…and, well, see I caught her and we…fell…yeah! We were playing tag and fell." He nodded. It sounded believable.

Natsumi arched her brow, she was pissed. Her moment with Akito was gone and who knew what else would have happened. "Whatever." She grumbled, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

Akito just raised a disbelieving brow at his friends. "You know, you could get off her any time." He pointed out, smirking slightly.

"It's okay Akito-kun! Shiro-kun's can stay there, it's not like it's bothering me or anything! I mean…." Minako's face turned crimson then. Crap, she had spoken without thinking. Toshiro blinked and stared down at her, slightly wide eyed.

Even Natsumi was appalled at what was said. Finally the redhead cleared his throat and looked away. "Not that I don't like being here or anything but…" he stopped and fumbled around with his words once more, getting up instantly. "I uh…" he just shut up then and lowered his hand down to help Minako stand.

She accepted his hand and wordlessly stood up, brushing the dirt from her clothes in the process. Akito just stared at them both, not believing what he had heard. Then he grabbed Natsumi's hand and began to walk away. "Come on Natsumi, I'll walk you most of the way to the hotel." He said, wanting to get as far away from that awkward situation as he could.

She went with him, deciding that she would kill her brother later for making her miss her first kiss. They walked in silence most of the way. Now that she was thinking about it, her mind began to wander. With her free hand she rubbed the slightly sore spot on her neck. Could that have been Minako? She glanced behind them to make sure they had no followers and then looked back over at Akito. "Well…that was weird."

"Extremely. I'm going to have to have a talk with Minako about what she does with boys. That was just scandalous." He said, completely serious.

"Are you now?" she arched a brow, giving his hand a tight squeeze.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. She shouldn't be doing such things with boys, especially ones that are older than her." He continued, oblivious of what he was really saying.

She nodded and looked up at the lanterns hanging around the buildings. "So you would never do _anything _like that right?" she looked over at him then, not bothering to hide her gaze.

"No, I would never put a girl in such a compromising situation, especially if she were younger than me. I'm too much of a gentleman." He told her, fully into his rant now.

"You know Akito…" she stopped, keeping her grip tight on his so he was halted as well. "I'm only fifteen."

"So?" he asked, then understanding dawned in his dark green depths. "Well…that's different." He defended.

"How?" she demanded, watching him carefully.

"Because…it just is okay? Are you saying that you don't want me to do things like that to you?" he asked, trying to turn the table to his advantage.

She gave him a small glare and walked up to him, stopping just before they were touching. "I didn't say that. But I think it's unfair to Minako if you hold her at higher standards. Especially when we almost…" she stopped and felt the blush creeping back up her face.

He raised a brow at her. "When we almost what?" he asked with a smirk.

She pressed her lips tightly together and looked down. She wished she had some water to splash on her face right now to cool it off. "Since we almost…kissed." She mumbled the last part, feeling her heart skip a beat.

He sighed. She was right about Minako, but that didn't mean he had to be okay with it. He looked around and noticed that few people were on the street. Crap. "Come on, it's getting late and I don't want your dad to kill me before I even get the chance to kiss you." He said, beginning to walk off again. She nodded and followed him. She sighed, knowing he wouldn't do it in front of anyone so now the chances of it were slim.

"Okay."

He stopped a block away from the hotel and turned to her. "I'm glad you had fun tonight, I did too." Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Night squirt." He said with a smirk, before walking off into the darkness.

She was wide eyed, staring after him and into the dark for a while, even after he was gone. She smiled and jumped up with excitement. "What's got you so excited?" a familiar voice asked. She turned to see her brother by her side.

"Nothing that's your business." She said simply, poking his chest and huffing.

He shrugged and went into the lobby with her trailing behind. "Whatever." he sighed. Another smile crept up her face as she thought about it. She would have Akito as her first real kiss. When they reached their room everyone else was already asleep so they went to their separate rooms and followed suit.

Natsumi snuggled into her pillow, giving it a tight hug and pretending it was her special Uchiha.


	6. Stolen

**Toshiro - 19**

**Satomi - 17**

**Natsumi - 17**

**Yuki - 10**

**Minako - 17**

**Shuhei - 10**

**Akito - 18**

**Aftershock**

_Prologue_

-Stolen-

_**Two Years Later…**_

Natsumi walked down the streets of Konoha with her mother, brother, and younger sister. She was still pissed from the talk her father had had with her before they left. She crossed her arms and glared down at the ground.

"Natsumi," Sakura smiled, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Try not to be so upset."

The girl rolled her eyes. Her mom just didn't understand this kind of thing. "Look, I don't really want to see Naruto. Can I just walk around and meet you later?" she asked, staring straight at her mother. Sakura turned around and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Well alright, but you better be at the hotel before ten okay?" she smiled lovingly and then ran her hand through Yuki's hair. The youngest Sabaku growled and tried to break away from their mother.

"Come on mom, I'm not some little kid anymore." Yuki huffed and glared, looking just like her father.

Toshiro laughed and flicked his little sister's ear. "Whatever punk, you're only ten. And even if you were older you'll still always be the baby of the family."

She shifted her glare to her brother, not knowing which deserved more of her irritation. Toshiro was much taller than his mother now, his red hair longer than his father's. His bangs covered half of his eyes and were longer on the sides. His outfit now was even similar to that of Gaara's. It was black, but the sleeves were cut short, ending just past his shoulders. He had on black gloves like his mother's, and black pants to match his top. "Mom, how come Natsumi doesn't have to come to the tower?"

"Because Toshiro, she isn't going to be the new Kazekage. Only two more years and your father wants to pass you the title. You should be honored." The pink haired woman said with a sigh. She was getting too old to deal with her mental children. "Come on Yuki let's go see Shuhei." She ushered the youngest long.

"What?! I don't want to see that crazy kid! He always pulls my hair!" she yelled, grabbing hold of her hair that was messily placed into a ponytail.

Deciding she had had enough of her family, Natsumi walked off, looking around the familiar village. She had changed a lot over the past two years. Her chest had filled out, even more than her mother's, which Sakura was not too happy about. But she had only grown a little taller. She had changed her outfit as well. She still wore her black knee high ninja shoes but she wore a similar top to one her mother used to wear when she was just married to her father. It was a deep red and the sleeves went down to her elbows and then fishnet continued from there to her wrists and her hands were covered with tight black gloves. The shirt stopped a bit short, exposing just a bit of her stomach. Her tight black shorts were a bit shorter than they had been when she was younger, but she didn't really care that she revealed so much skin. Over her shorts she wore a matching red skirt, with a slit up each side. Her clothes were comfortable and breezy, allowing for maximum movement and flexibility, so it worked for her. Her hair was cut in a similar manner to her mother's, but just a bit shorter in the back. She wore her Suna head band around her head now, just as her mother had, the cloth matching the color of her shirt.

A thought popped into her mind, and she wondered if Akito was home. She knew the way to his house and thought she could surprise him. He always made her feel better and she really needed some cheering up. She took off into a run, flashing by the startled villagers. She jumped up and flipped onto the roofs so she could get to her destination faster. The more she thought about him the faster her feet seemed to carry her. She had really missed Akito. It only took her a matter of minutes to reach the Uchiha prefecture. She bounded from house to house, flipping through the air and landing gracefully in front of one she had come to know.

Not one for knocking, she simply walked around back. She knew Akito and most likely he would be training. As if to confirm her suspicions she began to hear noises from the gate. He was training with someone. She pushed open the wooden fence door and walked in, seeing Akito and Minako. They were using nothing but taijutsu and going at it. She smiled, watching them move against one another. They had definitely gotten faster, and she was most certainly impressed.

"Hey Akito! Hi Minako!" she said loudly, so that they could hear her.

Both stopped and looked at her, panting from the exertion of their exercise. "Hi Natsumi-chan!" Minako exclaimed, running over and giving her friend a fierce hug. She pulled away and looked at her outfit. "Wow, I love your clothes! They look great!" she complimented.

"Thanks!" she smiled brightly.

She too had changed her style over the past few years. She wore fishnet leggings that stopped mid-thigh, with a short, tight black skirt over them. On her torso she had a tight black shirt that swooped across her shoulders, the sleeves going down to her elbows. Over that she had a dark purple vest that was also form-fitting, and buckled at the top of her shoulders. Her hair was still tied up in its regular pony tail, but it was long enough now to where it fell to the middle of her back. Minako, noticing her friend's developed figure, couldn't help but feel a stab of envy. While her mother was rather large in the chest, she was still even smaller than her Aunt Sakura, and that was saying something.

Akito just stood and there and slowly took in Natsumi's appearance. He was the same height as his father now, and had chosen to cut his raven locks shorter, so that they wouldn't get in the way as much. He wore slimming black pants, and a tight, long sleeved black shirt to match, with the Uchiha Crest on the back. He had a kunai holster tied around his waist, and now took to wearing black gloves over his hands. They protected them better when he used taijutsu, and his fire and lightning jutsu were less likely to hurt him in the process. He kept the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to just before his elbows, so that he didn't overheat.

Natsumi laughed and poked her friend's collar bone. "Minako how come your mom has a huge chest and yet you're smaller than _my_ mom." She giggled. She wasn't trying to make her feel bad, but she did find it a little funny. She looked over Minako's shoulder and couldn't help but go a bit wide eyed. She didn't know how but Akito had gotten even more attractive. She didn't bother to hide the assessment of his body. She could only imagine what it looked like beneath his dark clothes. "Hi Akito." she blushed slightly, swallowing hard.

"Hey." He said, walking over to them. Looking down at Natsumi, he smirked. "You're even more a squirt now than you used to be. I'm a full head taller than you." He said, placing a hand on her head for emphasis.

She huffed and glared up at him playfully. "I'm just travel size for your convenience." She said simply, poking his stomach and just feeling his hard abs. She tried to pull her eyes away then, but only found herself thinking about him without a shirt on.

"We'll see about that." He said. Then he hoisted her up and over his shoulder and began to walk around. "I'm not sure if this is very convenient." He teased, ignoring her cries of protest. "What do you think Minako?" he asked his silent companion.

The ebony haired girl simply laughed at her friends. She had gotten over being with Akito a while ago, and was now happy that she would be able to be friends with Natsumi without that standing as a barrier between them. "It doesn't look convenient for _her_, Akito-kun. You might want to put her down before she gets really angry."

"Hn. I think she likes it." He said, patting her butt and rubbing it lightly. He removed his hand then and looked over his shoulder. "Do you want me to put you down?" he asked, not really caring, since he had gotten what he wanted. A feel of her nice, firm bottom.

Her face was blood red. She couldn't tell if his hand was just there to keep her steady or for other reasons. "Put me down." she ordered softly. When he complied she gave him a punch in the arm. "You jerk." she huffed and then let her eyes fall. "Um Akito…can I talk you?" she glanced over at Minako and gave her a sympathetic smile.

Minako returned her friend's smile. "I'll just go find Shiro-kun. Do you know where he might be Natsumi-chan?" Minako asked, not wanting her friend to feel bad about asking her to leave. Besides, she was eager to see how attractive the redhead had become.

"Yeah, he's at the Hokage Tower, learning some things from your dad about Konoha…so you might want to save him." She laughed, not moving from her spot beside Akito.

"Will do." Minako said, saluting her friends. Then she disappeared in a purple flash.

Akito looked from the spot where his friend had occupied and then back down at Natsumi. "What's up?" he asked curiously.

She didn't say anything, simply deciding to wrap her arms tightly around his waist and bury her face in his chest, trying not to cry. She didn't know what she would do if she was forced into the terrible predicament she was in. Caught by surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her back soothingly. "Did you really miss me that much?" he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Akito…" she mumbled out, her tears now starting to fall. "The Village Hidden in the Mist is asking my dad…to marry me off to their Kage's son. So that they can form an alliance with Sand and Leaf…and he actually asked me to consider it." Her grip on his shirt tightened.

At her words he pulled her closer, wrapping her in a stronger embrace. "I would never allow that to happen and you know that." He said, burying his head in her hair. "You _are_ going to say no…aren't you?" he asked softly.

"Of course I am." she said strongly, shutting her eyes and taking in his scent. "My dad told me to think about it, but I told him I couldn't. I mean there's just no way I could…" she stopped herself from saying something she might regret.

"I know." He said, laying his head on top of hers. "So why are you so upset? I mean, your dad isn't forcing you into it is he? If you told him no, then I'm sure Mist has already been informed of the answer." He said, trying to find out the root of her problem.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I had this conversation with him right before we left. I guess he didn't want to deal with my reaction. But he said that they had seen me at the Chuunin Exams and were impressed. And that they wanted me, and if he didn't respond favorably then something bad would happen." She told him, pulling away a bit so she could look up and into his face.

"I had a premonition on the way here…" she said softly. "Something bad _is_ going to happen."

He brought his hands up from her back and began to run his gloved fingers through her hair. "When it does, I want you to know that I will be there for you. No matter what, understand? I don't care what happens, I will _always_ be there to protect you, just like I promised." He told her seriously.

She nodded, closing her eyes and enjoying his touch. She had been right in coming here to find comfort. "I know…just like you promised."

* * *

"And so, when the village was attacked-" Naruto continued in a bored tone. He really hated that he had to teach this kid about the history of Konoha. Couldn't somebody else do it? But no, Sakura had insisted that it be him. Before he could complete his sentence however, the doors to his office were thrown open.

"Shiro-kun! I have come to save you!" his daughter sang out, running up and hugging the surprised redhead.

"Minako! What have I told you about barging into my office?!" Naruto asked, sitting up in his seat. Thank _God_ his daughter was here. Now the Suna boy would be entertained.

"Something that I never listen to." She replied cheekily. Then she looked back up at the boy she was hugging and smiled brightly. Well, he wasn't a boy any longer, which much could be told through the way his body felt pressed against hers. She blushed slightly at the turn of her thoughts.

"Hello Minako." Toshiro said politely, giving her a small hug back. The redhead looked over to the Hokage with a pleading look. "Can I leave please? I promise I won't tell my mother we skipped out on this. I'll read about the history."

"By all means get outta here. I have other boring things to do than recite history." Naruto said, smiling with humor and waving them off.

Minako let go of him and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the tower. "You look good Shiro-kun, you got even taller since I last saw you." She said, still blushing. "What would you like to do?" she asked him, halting outside the entrance to the tower. It was then that she noticed she was still holding his hand, so she let go of it quickly and put it behind her back. For some reason she felt as if she was being too familiar with him now.

He stared down at her and shrugged, seeming even more detached than he was the last time she saw him. "I'm not sure. I assume Natsumi is with Akito right now since you've come to find me."

"Yeah Natsumi-chan wanted to talk to Akito-kun so I left them to come save you from my boring father." She told him with a smile.

"Ah." He nodded. He knew why his sister had sought out the Uchiha. Especially since Akito always seemed to drop everything he was doing for his secret love. "Well how about we go grab some ramen? I know you love it and I can't have it in Suna." He said, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her off.

"Okay!" she said, smiling happily. Today was starting out perfectly. She got to train with Akito, see Natsumi, and eat her favorite food with Toshiro, who just happened to be touching her. Things couldn't get any better.

They walked leisurely to the ramen stand, getting giggles from some of the younger girls in the academy. He glanced down at them and sighed, "Why do little girls always seem to stalk boys way too old for them?"

"Because the boys their age are too oblivious and don't like girls yet. Besides, sometimes the older ones are really cool and mysterious." She replied, giving him a suggestive smile. Then she turned and gave them a murderous look, causing them to quiet down and make their staring less noticeable.

"I dunno," he said, holding the cloth covering the entrance to the stand back for her. "I can't really remember a time when Akito didn't like my sister. Maybe it's just certain guys." He sat down beside her and looked at the small menu. "Or I guess you know when you've found your special person." He skimmed the menu then and placed it down, looking at her face. "You've gotten really pretty Minako. Not that you weren't before, but you look nice."

Her face turned red at his compliment. "T-thank you Shiro-kun. You look really nice as well. More like a man." She admitted, not needing to look at her menu since she knew it by heart.

They were interrupted then, and had to place their orders. Once that was taken care of she turned back to him, propping her head up on the bar with her elbow. "And Akito-kun is older than Natsumi-chan, not the same age, so that's different. Plus, their relationship hasn't been the most conventional one, if you know what I mean."

"Nope. I don't." he admitted, taking a wrapped pair of chopsticks from the holder and then breaking them apart. It didn't take that long for their bowls to be placed in front of them. Toshiro started on his and slurped up his noodles. "I don't see why it matters. Isn't love, love?"

"I suppose. But to some people it gets more complicated than that. Take my parents for instance. My mom was head over heels for my dad since she first met him at the Academy. But it took him twelve years to realize that he loved her too." She informed him, taking a mouthful of noodles.

He did the same and they continued to eat in silence. It wasn't a bad silence, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable one. Once they had finished Minako pushed her bowl away from her and smiled at the redhead. "Hey I got a great idea. Why don't we go on a picnic tomorrow? Since we haven't seen each other in a while. You, Natsumi-chan, Akito-kun, and me. Oh and is Satomi-chan here?" she asked.

He shook his head and sighed, "No. She doesn't really like traveling that much and since my dad has stopped coming she wasn't forced to go. Besides she's taking care of the hospital while my mom is gone." He pushed his own bowl away and thanked the man, placing money on the counter. They got up and left the stand, seeing it was already getting pretty late since the sun was setting. "Well, the picnic sounds fun. A lot more fun than learning about Konoha politics that's for sure." He sighed.

Minako nodded and then started the planning. "We could meet at the gates around 11:30 and head out at noon, that way we don't have to rush and it's nice and cool during that time of day."

"Alright." He said, seeing that his hotel was coming up. "I'll be sure to tell Natsumi. I'll see you tomorrow Minako." He waved and then disappeared through the front doors.

Minako sighed and watched him shut the door. It would probably be a while until Natsumi and Akito were done with whatever it was they were doing. And she really didn't like walking in on them, especially since Natsumi had seemed so distressed. "I wonder what's wrong." She tapped her chin and then walked towards the park. She would just have to tell Akito later. He usually didn't do things short notice, but if it involved their pink haired friend he'd probably stop time if he needed.

* * *

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" the bored tone of Akito asked.

Minako crossed her arms and glared at her friend. "Because that way we get to see our friends away from the distractions of the village. You want to spend more time with Natsumi-chan don't you?" she asked, raising a delicate brow at him.

He just looked off to the side so that she wouldn't see his expression. "Whatever. I still don't see why I have to carry the damned basket. This whole picnic was your idea in the first place." He complained.

"You have to carry it because you're the man. My hands are too small and delicate to perform such a task." She quipped with a mischievous grin.

"_Please_, you've carried heavier things for far longer a time than this. You just want your hands to be free so you can hug Toshiro." He replied, earning him a punch on the arm.

"Shut up Akito-kun! You know nothing of what you speak! I-" she halted, seeing her two friends coming. Her frown instantly becoming a smile, she turned to them. "Hi guys! I'm glad you could make it. Ready to go?" she asked.

The two walked up, matching expressions on their faces but for very different reasons. Natsumi tried to smile for her friend. "Hi Minako." she waved and stopped in front of her. "I'm glad we're actually doing something that's fun. And Yuki and Shuhei won't be able to find us." She laughed, looking over at Akito. "Wow! Akito, you doing a meaningless task such as carrying a basket? I'm in shock." She snickered, giving him a teasing poke.

Toshiro just watched the scene, a small smile forming on his face from the jab at his friend. "How did you manage that Minako? You deserve an award."

She blushed at the compliment. Realizing that she probably looked like a love-stricken Academy girl, she shook her head. "Oh it wasn't too hard Shiro-kun. All I had to do was tell Akito-kun that if he carried the basket, Natsumi-chan-" she was interrupted by her foot being swept from under her suddenly, causing her to fall backwards with a yelp.

Both Toshiro and Natsumi gasped, their sand catching Minako before she could hit the ground. The redhead walked over and offered her a hand, pulling her up from her incline. Natsumi arched her brow and looked at Akito quizzically.

He just ignored her questioning gaze and looked over at Minako. "You shouldn't be so clumsy Minako, especially since you're a shinobi." Akito told her. Then he began to walk away.

She stormed over to him and yanked the basket from his hands. "Whatever! _I_ will just carry the basket and meet you guys there. I bet I can even have everything set up too." She said. Then, in a purple flash, she was gone.

The Uchiha let out a sigh. Glancing over his shoulder, he made eye contact with Natsumi and then Toshiro. "I hope you got faster over the years Toshiro, otherwise Natsumi and I will leave you in our dust." He said with a smirk, and then disappeared from his spot on the ground.

Natsumi sighed and smiled. She could beat all of them, even with Minako's flash step. After all she was the first of the group to develop real speed. "Bye-bye Toshiro." Natsumi waved to her brother and disappeared. Toshiro simply rolled his eyes. He _so_ didn't care. The sand around him picked up and he was gone.

The sand mistress landed on the tree next to Akito, glancing over at him with a smile, easily keeping pace. "Wow Akito, I can't believe how fast you are. But…" she sighed and winked, blowing him a kiss. "It's still not fast enough." She took off ahead of him and then vanished in a burst of sand.

* * *

Natsumi dropped from the sky, having combined her speed with her sand to teleport herself. This was where she had sensed Minako was going. She looked around and then turned quickly as Minako slid to a stop from her flash. She looked up and screamed, almost dropping the basket. "Natsumi?!"

"Hello." The pink haired girl smiled and waved to her friend. "You've gotten a lot faster Minako."

"Thanks. It's not fully developed yet but I like to use it when I can. Plus it gets on Akito-kun's nerves." She answered with a smile. "Wanna help me set up while we wait for the slowpokes?" she asked, opening up the basket and squatting on the ground.

"Sure." she smiled, picking up the basket and starting to pull some of the food out. She looked over when Akito appeared shortly after them. "Hey Akito!" she waved happily, setting the basket down and attacking him with a hug. "About time." she snickered.

He hugged her back lightly. "Hn. At least I'm not dead last." He said, letting go of her and walking over to where the food was set out.

"What's taking Shiro-kun so long anyways? Everything's already set up." Minako asked, looking around for the redhead.

"He's probably just taking his sweet time. He doesn't like to rush things. He's not very spontaneous." Natsumi explained, pulling away from Akito then and taking a seat on the blanket. "He's more like my dad these days, so it's pretty irritating."

Toshiro pushed through the brush and walked over to them, the same expression on his face as before. "So who won?"

"I did!" his sister sang beautifully.

"As always." He sighed.

She gave him a thumbs up. "You know it! And once again Suna trumps Konoha!" she called, making the sounds for an applause.

"Hn. At least nobody in Konoha came dead last." Akito pointed out, sitting next to her and grabbing a container of food.

"Now, now Akito-kun there is no reason to get offended." Minako said, waving a finger at him. "Besides, this picnic is supposed to be fun! I even picked the perfect location!" she exclaimed innocently, gesturing to the beautiful waterfall a bit of a distance away.

Toshiro simply shrugged. He really didn't care, but when his gaze fell on the waterfall it shot to his sister, who seemed frozen. Natsumi stared nervously at the water. She _hated _water. Ever since she had been kidnapped as a child she had never gone near it unless it was to drink it or to take a shower. She felt the cold shiver run up her arms as if she were drenched. She would never forget how cold and alone she was. "Yeah." she said flatly, looking away from the crystal liquid. "Beautiful."

"So what's for lunch?" Toshiro asked, sitting beside his sister, becoming suddenly animated. He wanted to take any attention away from Natsumi if she started to freak out.

"I made all kinds of things for lunch, since I'm not sure what you guys like. There's chicken tender salad, a normal salad, rice balls, little steak fillets, and I made cookies!" Minako told them, pointing at each item. She had gone on a cooking spree when everyone had agreed to the picnic.

Akito ignored what she was saying and looked over at Natsumi. He could tell something was bothering her, but he wasn't sure what. So, he gently placed his hand over hers as he leaned to grab the steaks, making it seem as though it was an accident. He locked gazes with her and squeezed her hand lightly, wanting to give her some form of reassurance. She tried to give him a small smile, but failed miserably when she felt her frown.

Then he lifted his hand off of hers and opened the container, enjoying the smell that wafted his way. He would be the first to admit that he loved meat, in any form or fashion.

"Sounds fantastic." Toshiro complimented, grabbing a rice ball and handing one to Natsumi as well. She took the offered food and slowly began to eat. The sound of the falling water was making her lose her appetite.

It was still a nice time. Toshiro, out of protection for his sister, seemed to talk more to Minako to distract her. The redhead knew better then to try and shield his sister from Akito.

They sat and ate for a while, until Minako was on her feet with her byakugan activated. Sensing his teammate's distress, Akito had jumped up too and turned on his sharingan. Both looked around for a while, but didn't relax when nothing happened.

"What's going on?" Natsumi asked, looking between them confusedly.

Akito ignored her question and looked to his teammate, who was still searching the area. "I…I just felt something…something bad." She murmured.

"There was a chakra spike. Do you think it could have been another Leaf ninja training?" Akito asked, letting his eyes fade to green.

Minako deactivated her byakugan and stood straight, having sunk into a defensive pose. "Perhaps…but why would they be training so far from the village? And it wasn't a chakra that I recognized. And trust me, I know everyone's chakra that is a Leaf ninja." She said, still tensed.

Natsumi sighed. She didn't think anything bad was going to happen. After all before any of her premonitions came true she would know it. That was when she went wide eyed. She stood up and her action caused Toshiro to tense as well, both their sand snaking around the area.

"Toshiro…Akito…this is it." She whispered. She closed her eyes and then looked around with a fierce glare that belonged to her father.

Toshiro ran forward, placing a hand on Akito's shoulder for only a moment. "Protect my sister." He ordered, slamming his sand against a group of ninjas that jumped out of the trees. Natsumi disappeared, flashing around the field, weaving in and out of the mass of ninja. She slammed her glowing green hands on certain areas, causing them to writher in pain.

She slid to a stop and looked around, there were at least sixty of them. She flipped back, avoiding a kunai aimed at her, but landed closer to the waterfall. She stiffened and tried to move away. She needed to be away from the water. A group of ten men stopped her from distancing herself. She let out a deep breath, she would _not_ have water to her back and that was a fact.

Minako flashed all around the clearing, using her gentle fist to bring down as many as she could. Whenever they fell from being unable to stand, she used a kunai to slit their throats.

Akito had already reactivated his sharingan and was submitting some of the ninja to genjutsu, so that he could get to where Natsumi was. He knew they would escape from them eventually, but Minako and Toshiro could take care of it.

When he finally got close enough to Natsumi he began the real fighting. Not only was he proficient in taijutsu and kunai throwing, but he excelled at ninjutsu. Forming a few hand signs, he created a huge water dragon from the waterfall and let it head towards the eight ninja that were in front of him. He had even calculated it so that none of the water would come anywhere near Natsumi and disable her sand.

Not giving any of those men time to recover he leapt into action. He pulled a summoning scroll from his pouch and unsealed it, allowing for his father's old katana to appear. Drawing it swiftly, he began the slaughter.

Natsumi's foot destroyed another water clone. She flipped back, not wanting to get any water on her. She was really tired of these clones, but they just kept coming. Then she caught sight of Akito and her heart skipped, but that was her fatal mistake. Water ropes shot out from the waterfall's base and surrounded her. She went wide eyed and before she could yell for help she was dragged back and submerged beneath the aquatic liquid.

Toshiro grabbed one of the ninja and hurled him to the ground, bringing his other fist down on his face and imbedded the body into the earth, shattering the man's skull in the process. Suddenly all the shinobi began to vanish, disappearing from the clearing and into the trees, heading away from the village.

The redhead watched carefully, not letting his sand rest until he knew they were gone. "Minako…Akito. Make sure they aren't coming back or doubling around to attack Konoha."

With a nod the two disappeared into the trees. Minako came back first, her byakugan still activated. "They all left Shiro-kun." Akito came back then and nodded negatively, signaling that he had found no trace of the ninjas as well.

"Good." He said, letting out a deep breath. He stiffened instantly and looked around, eyes searching the area.

Minako blinked and looked around as well, "What is it Shiro-kun?"

"Where's Natsumi?!"

Akito's red eyes widened slightly and he too looked around. He had _just_ seen her a few minutes ago. Toshiro stormed towards Akito, giving Minako a small push out of his way so she wouldn't have to suffer his fury as well. "Akito! I _told_ you to protect her! Didn't you realize those were _Mist_ ninja?! I thought she told you!" he yelled, his face becoming red with anger.

Suddenly the truth dawned on him as to why most of the ninja went for Natsumi and why they all left after only a few moments of fighting. "She only told me about the marriage proposal and that she had a premonition! She didn't tell me anything more than that!" he defended, angry with himself.

Minako was just confused. "What marriage proposal? What premonition?" she asked, looking between the two.

"Well when I told you that you needed to protect her that should have been the indicator! I didn't know the logistics of what would happen, all she said was that something bad was going to happen! So put two and two together Akito. Bunches of MIST ninja attack us while we're away from the village!" Toshiro screamed, showing what bit of emotion he had left in his being.

"Well then we should go get her before anything bad can happen!" Akito yelled back. All he wanted to do now was go save his woman.

"But Akito-kun! We can't leave until we tell my father about the attack!" Minako said, being the goody two shoes that she was.

He turned his angry glare onto her. "No. I don't care if we get in trouble. The sooner we get Natsumi back, the better. Now activate your byakugan so we came track them." He ordered, performing the seals for the nin dogs. When Pakkun appeared Akito bent down.

"Pakkun, a friend of ours was just taken. I need you to pick up her scent and lead us to her." Akito said.

"I need something with her scent on it." The dog said with a nod.

Blushing slightly, Akito pulled his shirt away from his body, allowing for the dog to smell it. "You can differentiate between them, can't you?" he asked, ignoring the look Toshiro was giving him.

"Yes. It's hard, but I got it. Follow me." He said, bounding off into the trees. The three followed wordlessly, each praying to get Natsumi back as soon as possible.

* * *

Natsumi hit the hard cavern floor with a smack. She groaned loudly, already feeling the bruise that was forming on her side. "Did you seal her?" a deep voice said, there were only two other figures in the closed area with her.

"Of course I did you idiot, I'm not an amateur. We got all her sand off with our water prison jutsu and placed up a barrier in the room to keep it moist. So if any sand were in here she couldn't use it."

"So we sealed her chakra, washed all her sand off, and…what else? Should we tie her up?"

"Probably."

They moved over to her and grabbed her arms harshly, hoisting her up. She didn't know why she couldn't move her body. Had they drugged her? She could feel a trace amount of something in her system. Probably a paralysis poison. With much effort she opened her eyes and looked into the faces of the two men who were tying her hands together.

"Aw look Zen, she's waking up and she looks mad." Their faces were covered to their noses with light cloth masks. They had something similar to Kakashi's under cloth on. So their masks were connected to their shirts.

"It doesn't matter Sato, she can't do anything." Zen smirked, tilting her face to his and leaning closer to her. "Such a pretty little thing you are. Don't worry, you'll be happy in the Land of Mist. We'll have lots of fun before we get there too." he said huskily, letting his fingers trail down her throat.

Her glare only grew icier. "Ke…ep…touch…ing….me…and…you…'ll…re…gret…it." she forced out.

They both laughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot this sand princess belongs to an Uchiha." Sato said, grabbing her face and forcing her gaze on his ugly dark one. He could see the surprise in her eyes from his statement. "That's right. We've been watching you since the Chuunin Exams, and we know the only thing that made you say no to our own little prince was that Uchiha Akito. A fine specimen yes, but…he was in the way."

"Though the Uchiha and your brother being there was an unexpected bump. Then again you Suna siblings don't go anywhere without each other." Zen said with a dark laugh. "But if the other twin had been here I don't think it would have worked. You two have never been brought down."

She was just about sick and tired of these gross men touching her. "Hmm…" Sato glanced down her body and pulled at her shirt. "I wonder what it's like to take something from an Uchiha, don't you Zen?" his hand set on her stomach and her eyes shot down. With every ounce of strength she had, her leg flew up and collided painfully with Sato's head. He fell lifelessly to the floor. She lifted her arms and wrapped her tied hands around Zen's throat squeezing as hard as she could. She was _not_ going to let these creeps touch her anymore. Unfortunately, due to the poison pumping through her veins, her grip weakened and the man began to breathe again, grabbing her and slamming her onto the ground with his hand tightly around her throat.

She gasped out as he laughed hoarsely. "You little bitch. You really thought that was going to work?" a sadistic smirk crossed his face. "I can't _wait_ to have my way with you, you little brat." His grip tightened, cutting off her air supply. And then everything went black.

Zen got up then and ran his hand through his hair. "Good God that was impressive." He sighed and looked over to his comrade. "Come on Sato, let's get you to a bed." He kneeled down and heaved the unconscious man over his shoulder. As he left the room, he turned to one of the guards. "You should probably tie her legs together as well. We're leaving tomorrow and we do _not_ want her waking up again and having any mobility."

They nodded and then slammed the makeshift door to the cold damp room.

* * *

Toshiro bounded after Akito, who was only focused on the dog leading their way. He couldn't believe he had lost his sister again. He shut his yes tightly, only imagining what would have happened if his parents or Satomi were here. They were probably freaking out in Suna right now. Somehow…his family always knew when something was wrong with the others.

"Hey dog." The redhead spoke up, picking up the pace. "How far do we have to go? God knows what they could be doing to her right now."

The small dog glanced back at Toshiro. "The name is Pakkun for future reference. And we're almost there. About one more mile."

They sped ahead until Minako held her hand out and yelled in a hushed voice. "Stop! They're everywhere."

The two boys halted and looked around. Just a bit away there was an opening into the mountain they had been running past. A couple of ninja were walking around it, it was going to be difficult to get in. "How many are there?" the redhead looked over at Minako, whose gaze was already penetrating the thick mountain walls.

"A lot more than attacked us…" she said sadly.

"We'll have to send someone in undercover then. That way we can find out where they are keeping Natsumi, how many guard her, and so on. I'll do it." Akito said after dismissing the nin dog.

A dark jade glare focused on the Uchiha. "Yeah right. I'll do it, she's my sister."

Akito returned his friend's glare. "Please. Like nobody is going to recognize that bright red hair? I am less noticeable and stealthier. So I'll do it." He replied, pointing to his chest.

"I could always do it." Minako offered.

"No!" they both said looking at her.

"You're a woman, it would never work." Akito told her, causing her to huff in irritation and cross her arms. He focused back on the angry redhead. "You know I'm right." He said simply.

He just took in a sharp breath and glared at his friend. "Just bring her back alive."

"Done." Then he disappeared, speeding off towards the entrance. He hid in some low bushes and observed. He needed to find a guard that had the same build he did. Finding one, he was left to wait until the guard was alone.

It didn't take too long for the Mist nin to walk away from the group and head off into the woods to relieve himself. So Akito waited until he was vulnerable, and slit his throat. Catching the man so that blood wouldn't get all over the uniform, he stripped him quickly. Once he had the clothes on he pulled up the mask and picked up the body. He appeared in front of Toshiro and Minako and dropped the naked corpse. "Take care of that." He ordered, before leaving again.

Minako covered her eyes and looked away, her face crimson. "You have to do it Shiro-kun. I refuse." She informed him.

Toshiro stared down wide eyed at the body. "Um…I've never actually had to get rid of a corpse before…" he gave it a small poke. "Can't we just leave it?"

"No! It's dead, and smelly, and naked! We can't leave it here, I won't be able to use the byakugan if we do." She informed him, continuing to keep her eyes covered.

"What? Why?" he looked over at her, a bit shocked. "Haven't you ever seen a dead body before?"

Her blush darkened as she glared over at him. "Yes I have, just not…naked."

He rolled his eyes and let his sand pick up the dead man. He held out his hand and constricted, gripping the air tightly. There was a sickening crunch and crack of bones. After a while the sand crawled back to its master, leaving nothing but the dust from the bones to blow away in the soft breeze.

"Thank you." She sighed, full of relief. Then she leaned against the tree and continued to watch the entrance to the cave. "I hope Akito-kun knows what he's doing." She murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"I'm sure he will…" Toshiro trailed off, watching closely as well. "I bet Akito would rather die than let anything happen to Natsumi."

* * *

Akito walked the maze of the hideout expertly, having used his sharingan to get the layout from another guard. After he got what he wanted he had modified the man's memory. As he made his way to the room they were keeping Natsumi, his mind worked frantically to come up with an excuse for them to let him see her.

He came upon the door and saw two guards standing in front of it. The one on the left gave him a pitying look. "Looks like another new guy. Good luck." He said, opening the door for him.

His brow scrunched in confusion. Well, that was weird. Shortly after he walked through the doorway the door was shut. He looked around the room until his eyes stopped on the bound and blindfolded form of Natsumi. He wasn't sure what to say or do in that moment, so he just stood there. He wondered if she even knew he was there, or if she thought she was still alone.

"Well, well, well." A smirk crawled up her face. "They sent me someone new to play with." She was sitting on a poorly fluffed makeshift bed, her arms bound behind her back and her ankles secured tightly. There was a red blindfold over her eyes, blocking her sight from anyone entering, but she could feel the presence. "What? No hello? No snippy comeback? I'm surprised you haven't been so cocky as to try and touch me. Though I wouldn't blame you…" she laughed. "They must have told you what I did to the last one they sent in who tried to feel his way up my legs."

It took everything in him not to shout profanities and go find the ones who had dared to touch her in that moment. Instead, he slouched, taking on the familiar pose of Kakashi, even though she couldn't see him. "Hn." Was all he said as he walked over to her. Then he grabbed her jaw gently and turned it so he could check for any injuries.

She stiffened, but this touch was unlike any others she had received since her arrival. She tried to jerk away from him, but his grip was iron and he did not release her. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"Checking for injuries." He told her matter-of-factly. Seeing the one on the back of her neck, he frowned. "Are you hurt anywhere other than your neck?" he asked, releasing his hold on her chin.

What the heck was going on?! She rolled her eyes from beneath her blindfold and laughed. "Uh what? There's actually one of you who is trying to keep your gift in pristine condition? Go to hell, I'm not telling you anything. I'd rather suffer."

Wow, she was feisty when she got angry. He kind of liked it. Shaking his head to clear it of those thoughts, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a jar of ointment that Minako made him carry around. It was the same one she had used on Toshiro after their fight at the Chuunin Exams. He decided to find the rest of her injuries first, so he yanked her shirt up a little, revealing the large bruise on her side.

She yelled out, pulling her head back and then slamming her forehead against his, causing him to stagger back. _No one _touched her but Akito, and even he hadn't touched her that way yet. "Hey pal! I don't know how many times I have to tell you people, but I have one designated person who is allowed to touch my body and it is _none_ of you."

He rubbed his forehead and smiled at her words. He was surprised she still remembered that. "I'm _just_ trying to heal you, nothing else. Not everyone here is so unattractive that they have to rape a prisoner to get laid you know." He said, moving back over to the bed. Then he grabbed the back of her head and moved it forward so that he had access to the wounds.

She tried to struggle, but his grip was more forceful now. She growled threateningly at him as his words actually sunk in. "So you're saying you're not attracted to me?" the tone in her voice was obviously pissed, and he could see the irritation sparking in her eyes in his mind.

He smirked. "No, what I'm saying is, if you could see me right now, you would willingly come to me. But that is beside the point. Now lean over so I can get the wound on your side." He ordered, moving back to give her the opportunity to move on her own. He wanted to be as gentle as possible, and even though he was a guard, he wanted her to trust him.

He could see the dark blush that dusted her cheeks. "Fine." She leaned forward and then felt her face hit his broad shoulder. Her blush darkened, _Oh God_, she thought. She could feel his muscles and his voice didn't sound disgusting like the rest of them. _Great_, he was attractive. She felt the cool cream on her side, rubbing soothingly into the bruise. She sighed and then he moved his hands to her neck, the cold relief that spread through her body was nothing but welcoming. "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't believe in hurting women, prisoner or not. And you especially don't deserve to be treated this way." He told her. Then he lifted up her shirt and saw the two seals that were placed on her stomach and back. He sighed, this would only make things more complicated when it was time to leave.

Then he righted her clothing and moved away from her. "Try and get some rest. You will need it for the days to come." He told her, putting away the ointment. "I will make sure that nobody other than me comes to see you, that way you won't have to be subjected to their forms of…prison care."

She pressed her lips together and nodded, it would be better than having to deal with those gross perverts. "Fine." She leaned back against the wall again. She needed a plan for getting out of here, but her options were running out. She wondered if Akito was coming after her or if they had gone back to the village to inform Naruto. Naruto would probably send word to her dad and then all hell would break loose.

"I will be back later." He told her gently, stroking her cheek in a comforting manner. Realizing what he was doing, he left the room in a hurry.

"Wow. I'm surprised you're not bloodied and bruised. She gets pretty feisty." The guard said.

"You just have to know how to handle women the right way." Akito responded. Then he headed towards the living area where most of the guards stayed. When he walked in they were all laughing at the unfortunate people who had been hurt by Natsumi.

"I had a bit of trouble with her, but one good chokehold put a stop to that really quickly." One of the men said. "Sato over here got knocked out by her when he tried to make a move. Isn't that right Sato?" the man asked.

"Shut up Zen." Another man replied angrily. "When I go in there next, I'm gonna give that girl the ride of a lifetime. I'll make her scream so loud that she won't be able to talk for a week." He informed the room with a smirk.

Akito was in front of him in an instant, his hand around the other man's neck. "You will not touch her. I have already sampled her wares, and I will continue to be the only one to do so." He said, his voice full of venom. He needed to show these men that he was strong, otherwise his job in protecting Natsumi would be even more difficult.

"Heh, look boys, the newbie here thinks he stands a chance. Why don't you move aside and let a real man at her eh?" Sato asked, not caring that he was in a chokehold.

"A real man huh?" Akito asked humorlessly. Then he took out a kunai and plunged it into Sato's pelvis, causing him to elicit a cry of extreme pain. "Doesn't seem like you have the balls to be considered a man." Then he put him out of his misery by snapping his neck and letting him fall to the ground.

He turned and faced the rest of the group, who were now speechless. "Anyone else want to question my claim?" he asked. When no one responded, he smirked. "Good." Then he left the room. He needed to go and check on Natsumi again, to make it believable that he really was claiming her.

He walked past the guards without even a look of acknowledgement and went into the room. He walked over to the bed and tapped her shoulder lightly, unsure if she was asleep or not. "I don't sleep in this place." She told him, not moving from her spot on the floor. She was not going to be compliant with these people.

He bent over and hoisted her into his arms. Then tossed her onto the bed, causing her to scream. "Listen," he said in a hushed voice. "I need you to make noises as if I'm hurting you and stuff." He told her.

"You _are_ hurting me." She seethed, wishing she could glare at him. She paled when she felt the bed dip and his presence over her. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm making it more realistic. Now help me bounce the bed so that it creaks." He ordered, beginning to move over her.

"Are you insane?! Get away from me!" she tried to get a kick at him, but only fell on her side, screaming at the top of her lungs. "I told you! I only have one person who can touch me! So STOP IT!"

"Yeah keep saying stuff like that, I think its working!" he encouraged, shaking the bed hard enough so that she was bouncing between it and his body.

She went wide eyed then, realizing what he was doing. "Are you pretending to have sex with me?" she asked, feeling another embarrassing blush cover her face. She took in a deep breath and decided to help him, since it kind of made sense. With another inhale she let out what she thought sounded like a satisfied moan, elongating it.

"Yes, like that." He said in a moan, a little louder so that the guards would be sure to hear. After a few more minutes of shaking the bed, he bent down and whispered. "Time for the finale, are you ready?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm not." She whispered back angrily. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Unless…" she shivered at the thought. She was trying to recall the noise her mother made when they could hear her parents in the middle of the night. "Okay. Fine." She said, lifting her arms up and placing them around his neck. If she was going to fake it she was going to have him closer to her and pretend it was Akito doing the act to her.

He nodded and then began to count down, "Alright. One, two, three."

She sucked in and then mimicked her mother's moan when it was at its peak. She brought him closer, so her mouth was by his ear then. He stiffened at the sound, and then released a low groan of his own in her ear. Then he stopped moving the bed and stayed there for a few moments. When he was satisfied they had made it convincing, he sat up, bringing her with him. "That was great." He said, unhooking her arms from around his neck.

He stood and walked to the other side of the room, needing to distance himself from her so that he could reign in his emotions. Even though it was all an act, he was curious if those were the noises that she would make if she were really doing such things.

She pressed her back against the wall and looked in the direction of his voice. "You better hope that worked and they don't come bother me anymore." She was trying to calm down her beating heart. She couldn't even believe she had subjected herself to that. "And…you better not say anything…if Akito finds out…I don't know what I'll do…" she lowered her head and rested her forehead on her knees.

He crossed his arms, curious about her reaction. "They shouldn't, although I'll have to come in here again later and do the same thing, just to be on the safe side. I'm curious though…why do you care so much about what this Akito guy thinks? Is he your boyfriend?" he asked, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"No!" Natsumi blurted out too quickly. "He's not my boyfriend…" she began fiddling with her fingers then. "It's just…I've known him my whole life…since I was seven." She felt silly for blabbering on about the Uchiha. "It's complicated…but…I've been in love with him since we were kids…" her voice broke then. She missed him so much, and the way things were going she would probably never see him again. Tears began rolling down her cheeks now. "And I hate this place and I miss him and you just don't understand…well I don't know if you do or not but you probably don't." she continued, trying to wipe her face with her tied hands. "I've had disgusting men try and touch my body, taking me to some horrible place to marry some person I have never met before. All I ever dreamed of was marrying Akito and now everything is falling apart." She sobbed loudly. She needed her Uchiha and she needed him now.

Without thinking of the repercussions he was by her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her and making comforting noises. "It will be alright, you'll see. These things have a way of working themselves out." He comforted. She had dreamed of marrying him?! He was too young to be thinking of those things. But, she _was_ a girl, and they thought about marriage at a young age. That explained a lot.

She stiffened in his embrace, if her sand had been with her he would have been slammed against the wall in an instant. She never let anyone else touch her this way, only Akito. But he had been nice to her…and in a weird way he was protecting her from the other creeps. Reluctantly, but in need of comfort, she leaned into him, accepting his hold.

After a few minutes he began to move away from her. "I should go, before they get suspicious. But don't worry, I'll come back later. I promise." He told her, leaning her back against the wall as he stood to leave.

"Alright." She said softly, placing her head back on her knees.

He left the room then, accepting the congratulations from the guards with ease. Then he made his way towards the exit, wanting to tell Toshiro and Minako about the things he had learned.

* * *

"Hey Shiro-kun?" Minako's voice rung out hesitantly.

"What?" the redhead tore his unblinking gaze away from the cave and to her blue eyes.

"I'm cold." She said, slightly embarrassed. It had started to get dark not too long ago, and with that came a chill. She had been shivering slightly for a while now, and had just now worked up the nerve to mention it.

He let out a deep sigh and pat the branch next to him. "Just try and keep it down, I can hear your teeth chattering." She moved over and a thick layer of sand rose around them to keep away the cold. "I wonder where Akito is…he said he would give us an update."

Suddenly said Uchiha was on the branch before them. "Hey. Sorry it's so late, there were things I needed to take care of." He said.

"Whatever. Just tell me about my sister. Is she okay?" Toshiro asked, still worried.

"Yeah. They have her locked in a room on a lower level. She was a bit bruised, but I fixed that so there's no worry there. Here," he said, reaching into his pouch and bringing out a scroll. "I made a map of the place. Memorize it, because tomorrow is when we make our move. They plan on moving her sometime after lunch." He informed them.

The eldest sand sibling took the scroll and unrolled it, trying to read it in the dim moonlight. "They plan on moving her? Already? They must be in a hurry to get her to Mist. No doubt they want to keep her powerless. I'm assuming she's sealed and has no sand."

Akito nodded, pulling down the part of his shirt that was his mask so he could breathe more easily. "She's got two seals, they look somewhat complex but I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Good. You need to find her sand, no matter what. Once our sand is dry, it forms back into a gourd and houses the rest. So it has to be in there somewhere. Make sure you get it to her once you make your move." He explained, rolling up the paper and handing it to Minako.

"Got it. I'll come back when it's almost time." He said, and then disappeared again.

Minako looked over at Toshiro and patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry Shiro-kun. Once Akito-kun has a goal in mind he never fails." She said with a smile. "We'll have Natsumi-chan back before you know it."

He sighed. "I know…it's just…difficult having to sit around and wait for something to happen. I'm not used to trusting my sister to anyone outside my family."

"I understand. But at least you're not out here by yourself right? You'd probably go crazy then." She somewhat joked. She just wanted to see him smile the way he used too. Just once, for her.

"Probably." He said seriously, taking his eyes off her then and watching the cave.

Her face fell. He really was different from the Toshiro she used to know. And she didn't like the new one. The new one didn't seem to want anything to do with her. With a sigh she trained her gaze back on the entrance.

* * *

Akito made his way back towards Natsumi's room. He had already located the gourd, which was a few rooms down. Not very smart if you asked him but whatever. That only meant that these idiots were just too confident in themselves.

"Back again huh? Is she really that great?" the guard asked.

"The best." He answered shortly. Then he entered the room. With a sigh he said, "Time for round two. I hope you're ready."

Natsumi rolled her eyes, had it really been that long already? "I really think you're enjoying this a little too much." She sighed. She hadn't moved from her spot but she was sitting up now, with her back pressed against the wall. "And how do I know you're not going to do anything more than pretend, which is still really suspicious by the way."

He sighed. She was right, he _was_ enjoying this. But not for the reasons she thought. "Well, if you would rather me stop going out of my way and coming in here in order to convince the others that you're mine, it can be arranged. It's no skin off my back." He told her.

She shivered at the thought. She really didn't want any of the others coming in and bothering her. It was taking its toll on her body to break their noses or any other body part. The seals were draining her reserves. But how could she trust him? She most certainly wasn't one to ask an enemy for help. "Fine. Go away. It's not like you really care anyway."

"You think I don't care? If I didn't care, I wouldn't be risking _my_ life to help you. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have killed Sato when he started talking about what he was going to do to you." He said defensively. He didn't like seeing her so dejected. It wasn't like her.

She turned her face in his direction. "You killed him? But he's your…he's part of your team." She said softly. That was ruthless, even for her.

"Nobody on my team would ever dare talk of a woman that way." He said, angry at the mere memory of what had been said. "And I only killed him to put him out of the pain he was suffering in his…lower regions." He muttered.

"Uh…okay." she was a bit confused now, this guy was probably crazy. No wonder they had sent him in to try and deal with her. At least now all his weird behavior kind of had an excuse. "Anyways…"

"So do you want me to leave or not? There are plenty of other men out there that would gladly take my place." He told her, moving towards the door.

"No!" she yelled, leaning forward and then moved back quickly, hitting her head against the wall. "Ow," she groaned, attempting to rub the now bruised spot on the back of her head.

He walked forward and rubbed the sore spot for her. "Does that feel better?" he asked.

She stopped herself from resisting his touch, since it was better to just do it his way. "Yeah."

"Listen…we don't have to pretend if you don't want to…I can just leave. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He told her a bit awkwardly. In all honesty he kind of liked pretending…even if she didn't know it was him. She would probably freak out if she knew anyways.

"No…I don't want anyone else to come in here…" she said a bit shakily. "And it's not so bad if I just pretend you're someone else. I mean you're not really doing anything and it is keeping those other gross guys from touching me." She admitted, feeling the dark blush on her cheeks.

"Okay. You should probably lay down then." He suggested. He wasn't going to lie, he was curious as to who she would be pretending he was.

She nodded and did as she was told, laying on the flat of her back and taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Alright." _Just think of Akito_, she told herself.

He climbed over her slowly and then began to rock the bed. "Move with me." He ordered, wanting to make this as convincing as possible.

She made herself jump a bit, giving the bed a big sway so that it hit the wall loudly. "Am I supposed to make noises this time too?"

"You probably should. That way this is more believable." He said, beginning to rock the bed a bit harder.

She took in a sharp breath and then let out, what she thought was, a pleasured scream. It needed to sound tormented too right? She lifted her arms and wrapped her tied hands around his neck, pulling his face down to hers. "If I'm going to do this you better at least be louder than you have been." She whispered angrily. "Since apparently, I'm the 'best'." She smirked. She had heard what he said to the guards when he had come in.

He smirked down at her. The reason he hadn't made any noises so far was because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "Fine." He said, and then he let out a deep, throaty groan.

She bit down on her bottom lip and swallowed. Why did he sound so familiar? She shook her head and tried to clear her mind. There was bound to be people around the country who sounded alike. "Just tell me when."

"A little longer." He said softly, shaking the bed a bit more roughly. "Oh God." He moaned, making sure it was loud enough for the guards to hear.

She lifted her feet and brought them down on the bed, giving them an extra bounce. She started to laugh, this was kind of funny. She could almost imagine Akito doing something of the sort and the blush on his face would be priceless. She moaned again, pressing her lips together soon after to keep from laughing.

And he did blush, but he didn't see what was so funny. "Are you okay?" he asked, momentarily forgetting their ruse.

Her giggling died down and she nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about Akito. This little charade would totally be something he thought up. And now I'm just imagining him."

He froze, but quickly regained his stride. Did she really know him that well? "I see. Well I think it's about time we end this thing, don't you?" he asked.

"Alright. Who should go first?" she asked, forcing herself to pant to try and make it more realistic.

"I will, since you did last time." He said, moaning. Then he quickened his breathing and began to shake the bed roughly. With a loud groan he slowed down his shaking, breathing heavily in her ear from the exertion.

She let her mind go off, which was probably wasn't the best idea, since the next words out of her mouth made him freeze. "Oh! Akito!" she yelled out, going wide eyed then and gasping. Why had that come out!?

Not really thinking himself, since her words had caught him by surprise, he quickly covered her mouth with his, taking advantage of the fact that it was open. He kissed her passionately, and then, realizing what he was doing, he got off her immediately and was on the other side of the room, breathing heavily. "I should go." He said before leaving.

Natsumi stared wide eyed into her blind fold. She couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. As it finally sunk in, she felt tears collecting in her eyes and she began to cry. Her first kiss was gone to someone other than Akito. Slowly she rolled onto her side, choking out a sob. "I'm so sorry Akito."

His mind was a complete mess right now. She had yelled his name. His name, in a fake orgasm. And he had kissed her. God he was so stupid. He had probably ruined things between them now. She would think it was some guard, when in reality it was him, but he couldn't tell her that or she would freak out. Damn.

Those thoughts in mind, he made his way to the living room, deciding that he needed to see what the news was. He entered the room and saw everyone packing supplies. "What's going on?" he asked one of the men.

"Didn't you hear? We're moving out tonight. The boss wants the girl as soon as possible." He told him, grabbing some supplies.

This wasn't good. He left the room quickly, needing to inform Toshiro and Minako of their change in plans. Unnoticed by him was Zen, who had been watching his movements since the day before. When he was sure that Akito had left, he headed for Natsumi's room.

He pushed in the door, hearing her soft crying. It only convinced him more of what had been going on in the cave. "Well…from what I heard you really _do_ belong to an Uchiha." Zen laughed darkly, making Natsumi stiffen. She recognized his sick and twisted voice. He bent down and grabbed her hair, giving her a sharp heave. "So I'm going to brand you to him and then destroy any chance he ever had of getting inside you."

"What?!" she tried to jerk away from him, but his grip only tightened and hurt her head.

He pulled out a kunai and threw her back to the hard floor. "Now sit still you little bitch!" he yelled, lifting up her shirt and digging the sharp metal into her flawless skin. He laughed maliciously as he began to carve the Uchiha crest over her right hip. She could barely hear his words over her screaming, but his intent was clear. Once he was finished he was going to do something much worse.

* * *

Toshiro leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "I hate doing nothing. Where's Akito. We should act now." He looked down at Minako, who was fast asleep and resting her head on his shoulder. He sighed and pat her leg, it had been a very long night. If it weren't for his insomnia he would probably be out as well.

"Toshiro." Akito's voice sounded from the darkness.

Minako was awake suddenly, her hair disheveled from her rough sleep. "What's going on?" she asked, looking around confusedly. "Oh, hey Akito-kun. What's the news?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah. What's the plan?" the redhead leaned forward, wanting some action.

"They're moving her tonight. Get ready and wait for my signal." He informed them.

"What's your signal?" Minako asked, fully awake now.

Akito just smirked. "Oh, you'll know. Trust me." And then he was gone, off into the night.

* * *

When he went back inside he headed straight for Natsumi's room. It wasn't long until he heard the screams. He sped up and sliced the guards' throats on his way into the room. When he opened the door his vision went red with rage. There was Zen, over his Natsumi, and he was hurting her.

He grabbed the ninja's arms and pulled backwards, dislocating both of his shoulders. Before Zen's cries of pain could die down, Akito threw him against the wall. When the dust settled, he was before the other man, trapping him in a genjutsu that would kill him slowly. Once Zen finally died, Akito took out his katana and stabbed him in the heart. Wanting to be extra careful, he also slit the other man's throat.

Then he was over the crying Natsumi, and what he saw horrified him. There, over her right hip, was a bloody Uchiha crest. He should have been more brutal in killing the man, he realized belatedly. He yanked down his mask, and then the cloth that was covering Natsumi's eyes.

Her eyes didn't meet his at first, she wasn't expecting anyone to save her. She couldn't feel anything anymore, her hip throbbed. Zen had gouged deeply into her skin and she could have healed it herself if it wasn't for the seals on her body. Finally she turned her gaze to the person with her, expecting to finally see her mystery protector. "Akito!" her heart literally stopped and then her tears continued.

"I promised I would protect you." He said, tenderly stroking her cheek. "I'm only sorry it wasn't enough." He looked down at her wound then, and glared, angry at himself for leaving her. He ripped some cloth off of his shirt and applied pressure to her wound in order to stop the blood flow. When he was sure it was fine he took out the cream Minako had given him and rubbed it on the wound. It caused him pain to know that she would be stuck with this mark for the rest of her life, all because of him.

"No," she said softly. "You're here." She smiled painfully up at him. Her eyes went wide, she jerked away from the cream in his hand when it seeped into her flesh and screamed. "STOP! It's burning me!" the flow down her face increased. That stupid Mist ninja must have laced his kunai with some sort of powder that reacted to treatment. "Get some water and wash that stuff out! It needs to be healed with chakra, the cream is only making it worse."

He quickly grabbed the water jug that had been kept in the room and splashed her wound, cleaning out the cream as gently as he could. "Is that better?" he asked, worried that he was still hurting her.

Slowly she nodded, regulating her breathing so she wouldn't speed up her blood flow. She shut her eyes and tried to assess the poison. It wasn't too bad, all she had to do was heal herself when she could. Though thanks to the depth and poison it would scar noticeably. She tried to laugh but it sounded forced, "Looks like I'm not so flawless anymore." She smiled up at him, despite the situation she was so happy to see him. "I missed you."

A look so full of emotion flashed across his face then, that it was hard to tell just what he was feeling at that moment. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Me too. The second I realized you were gone I came after you. Toshiro and Minako too."

She smiled, enjoying his touch and the feel of his skin. "Minako try and go back to tell Naruto?" she snickered, knowing her friend all too well. She was one for playing by the book.

He smiled then. "Yeah, but Toshiro and I overpowered her." Then he took a kunai out of his holster and cut her bonds. Once he was done he stood and offered his hand down to her. "Come on. I need to get those seals off you. I found where they are hiding your gourd, and we don't have much time to get out of here before the bombs I set go off." She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up to his side.

"Um the seals…" she blushed, touching her stomach gently. "Alright but be careful, I don't know what will happen if you do it wrong and you _better_ not laugh." She gave him a weak glare and then with a deep breath she slowly unzipped her shirt. Luckily her breasts were wrapped with a white cloth, hiding anything she would be too embarrassed about. She couldn't meet his eyes now, almost completely bare on her front. She lifted her arms up so that he could better access them both.

It took a conscious effort not to stare at the skin she had exposed to him. Or at her breasts. He touched the seal on her stomach lightly, bringing his face closer so that he could better examine it. Then he grabbed her by the waist and turned her slowly, so that he could see the one on her back. He sighed. It would be difficult, but he knew how to remove them. Luckily Kakashi had decided it was necessary for him to learn about the various types of seals. Otherwise it would look like gibberish.

Placing each hand on the top of the seals, he looked up at her. "Ready?" he asked, waiting for her permission. She nodded and looked straight forward, being prepared for anything but making sure she was relaxed.

Taking a deep breath, he counted backwards from three in his head. Once he finished, he ripped the seals off her quickly, as if they were large Band-Aids, causing her to inhale sharply at the pain. He waited then, for something to happen. When nothing did, he stood up and smiled down at her. "What would you do without me?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Probably be very sad and alone," she smirked, grabbing onto his tight shirt and pulling him against her without really thinking. "Not to mention depressed and angry, probably kidnapped and raped and who knows what else." She nuzzled into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "My hero."

He returned her embrace, laying his head on hers and inhaling her scent. He had missed being able to hold her as himself, and not some kindhearted enemy guard. He stiffened suddenly as he remembered just how much time they had taken up. Pulling away from her a bit, he looked down into her face. "We need to get a move on. I don't want to be here when those bombs explode."

"Oh right, sorry." She mumbled, heading for the door until she remembered she didn't have a shirt on. Her face turned blood red and she covered her chest the best she could with her hands. Akito walked up behind her and offered her shirt back, holding it only with one finger.

"Forget something?" he arched a cocky brow, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Pervert." She mumbled, snatching her shirt back and sliding her arms through her sleeves. Then she zipped it up as fast as she could.

He shrugged and walked ahead of her, glancing back. "You're the one who took your shirt off."

She huffed and followed after him, pulling down on her shirt. She cursed softly, no matter how much she pulled the edge of her top down, it went back revealing her midriff and the Uchiha crest. As they walked she placed her hand over the wound and tried to heal it the best she could. But even after it was sealed it was marked on her body in bright red.

They entered the room where her gourd was being stored and he looked around, sharingan activated, to make sure they were alone. Satisfied, he walked forward and picked it up, a bit surprised at how heavy it was. Her size didn't really look like one that could carry such a heavy load with ease. Then he turned and held it out to her. "Are you strong enough to carry it?" he asked, unsure as to how much chakra she had regained.

"I don't know." She shrugged and walked over to him, taking it slowly. It would be difficult but she just had to get her blood flowing and her chakra pumping. "It should be fine…just…watch me to make sure I'm not lying." She gave him and smile and then took his hand tightly.

Then they bounded off, him leading her towards the exit he had chosen. They only had seconds before his bombs exploded.

* * *

"This is taking too long. Should we go in and get them?" Minako asked, her annoyance mixing with her worry. She wasn't always the most patient when it came to things she had a vested interest in.

Toshiro stood, placing his hand on the trunk. "Yeah. Let's go." He moved to jump and then a loud explosion went off under the mountain. He fell forward, stumbling a bit from the unexpected rumble and noise. "Good God!" he yelled, looking over at Minako, who had her hands over her ears. "Was that the sign?" he wondered, thinking that it could have been an accident.

She looked at him, a small smile on her face. "Yeah. I told you, Akito-kun goes all out for these things." Then she activated her byakugan and set off towards the entrance, now that she could see through the smoke. "Come on Shiro-kun! You're not gonna make me kill them all are you?!" she taunted, entering the cave and immediately killing a stumbling guard.

He sighed and took off after her. These men were going to pay for taking his sister. No one messed with his family. His sand shot forward, slamming a man against the wall and crushing him into nothing. "They all die." He said, glancing over at Minako. "I don't want a single one to escape. No one hurts my sister." He told her. She nodded and ran ahead, scoping out the cave quickly.

Then she dashed into a few hidden corridors. She knelt into the stance for her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, hitting everyone that was in the vicinity. Once that was done, she took out a kunai and stabbed each in vital spots, knowing that they would die shortly after. Seeing that her work there was done, she set a few bombs and left the mountain, knowing that Toshiro was already out.

* * *

Akito and Natsumi ran out into the forest, finally slowing down once the mountain was blurred behind the trees. Natsumi panted loudly, placing her free hand over her heart. Her body ached from not moving for so long and having different poisons in her system. She froze then and looked back, "Wait!" she cried out, and ran back for the exit they had taken.

The Uchiha's hand wrapped around her wrist tightly and stopped her, making her jerk. "No, you don't understand!" she cried, "There was one guard in there who actually tried to help me! Where are Minako and Toshiro?! I can feel my brother! He's killing them all isn't he?!" she turned back to him, anger burning in her jade depths.

Guilt filled him then, but he knew he couldn't tell her that he was the guard. "Natsumi…I highly doubt him and Minako left any survivors. So if the explosion didn't kill him, they did." He told her cautiously.

Before she could say anything more the other half of the mountain exploded, causing it to collapse. "NO!" she screamed running towards it once more. She felt like she'd been crying for days now, the familiar wet feel of her tears slid down her face as she fell to her knees. That guard had tried to help her, in a weird way yes, but he tried. Now he was dead, what a nice reward. She felt horrible, but it wouldn't have mattered if she had had ten minutes. She hadn't seen him or even asked his name.

Akito knelt to the ground next to her and put his arms around her in a comforting hug. It was killing him to not tell her the truth, but if she knew what he had done to and for her, then she would hate him forever. And, twisted as he was, he would rather deal with her grief than her hatred.

Then he looked up and saw a streak of purple heading their way. Great, just what he needed. Minako was before them suddenly, a bright smile on her face. "Hey guys! Natsumi-chan I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried about you!" she announced, sinking down and joining in what she thought appeared to be a group hug.

Toshiro walked up, not a drop of blood on him. His eyes focused on his sister's distraught form and then Minako, who seemed to be oblivious to the state of Natsumi. Before the war of the witches could begin, Toshiro cleared his throat and locked gazes with Minako. He shook his head, indicating she needed to stop what she was doing. Slowly the girl released Natsumi, who continued to cry in Akito's arms. She went beside Toshiro and gave him a questioning look. "Those aren't good tears." He told her simply. A look of understanding came upon her then, and she just watched the scene, troubled as to why her friend could be crying.

Akito began to rub her back, bringing her closer to him in the process. "Natsumi…I'm sure he knew you would be rescued and that his life was at risk. He died willingly." He said, trying to console her.

She leaned into him, wanting nothing more than to cry. It wasn't fair that someone who had done good had to die.

The redhead looked confused then. "What are you talking about?"

Natsumi looked up at her brother for the first time. "There was a guard in there who actually tried to help me. I didn't get his name and I didn't get to see what he looked like, so it probably wouldn't have made a difference."

Toshiro's glare shifted to Akito. Had he not told her it was him? Finally, Natsumi's breathing slowed and she pulled out of Akito's arms, giving him a thankful look. "I'll be alright." She smiled, but he could tell it was a fake.

"Akito." Toshiro said loudly, gesturing with his head to move off. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He wordlessly got up and followed his friend. When they were a safe distance away, the Uchiha took his shirt off and changed back into his old one. "What is it?" he asked in a monotone. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.

"What the hell Akito? You didn't tell her?!" he growled, turning his back to his sister and Minako so they wouldn't see his angry expression.

"It didn't seem important. I had no idea she cared for my guard persona, and if I had told her while I was there the act wouldn't have been as convincing. She wasn't upset about it until the place blew apart." He said, trying to keep his cool. He was frustrated, yes, but it wouldn't do if he and Toshiro got into an all-out argument. That would just create more that needed explaining.

The redhead took a deep breath and slowly relaxed. "Okay." He said, pressing his lips tightly together. "I understand…but trust me. You might want to tell her eventually before it blows up in your face."

"I will." He said, although it wouldn't be any time soon. If he left it alone long enough she would forget about it, right?

"Akito-kun, Shiro-kun. We should start moving soon. I'm sure my dad's worried by now, and Natsumi-chan looks like she could use some pampering." Minako said, loud enough for the boys to hear.

They both nodded and went back over to the girls. Toshiro stopped by his sister and noticed her weary state. "Do you want me to carry you Natsumi?" he asked sincerely, looking more like the boy he was nine years ago.

She shook her head and started forward. "I'll be fine. I'm not a hindrance." She said harshly, taking off with a quick step. She wasn't as fast as she could have been but her body did need some time to heal.

Akito exchanged a doubtful look with his friend. Then the group followed after her. "Do you know where you're going?" Akito asked, his amusement slightly veiled, noting that she was headed in the wrong direction.

She came to a halt and looked at the Uchiha who stopped with her. Natsumi glanced around and suddenly a dark red blush spread across her face. "Shut up." She told him with a huff. "It's just that I've been disoriented." She crossed her arms and then swayed a bit from a wave of nausea that hit her from her sudden run.

Akito placed his hands on her shoulders in a steadying embrace. "I can carry you if you want Natsumi. It's no problem, and you won't be a burden. Just until you get your strength back." He explained. She might be more inclined to let him hold her than her brother, especially if what she said was true and she was in love with him.

Love. It was an odd emotion that he had only heard about. His father never showed that he loved him. He knew Minako loved him, and he supposed he loved her, but only as a sister and a friend. He knew he cared for Natsumi, but he wasn't sure to what extent or how deeply. And until he could come to terms with it, he would continue to treat her as he always had.

Perhaps if she had the courage to tell him directly instead of some 'stranger' he would be more inclined. But until then her words meant little to him. He wasn't one to get his hopes up quickly and believe everything he heard, and he never had been.

She blinked and somehow her blush darkened. "Sure…but…" she sighed and decided to be submissive for once. "Alright." He turned his back to her and belt down a bit, letting her situate herself. Natsumi wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Rest." He ordered, turning and resuming the journey home. "If I know you, you didn't sleep at all while you were there."

She smiled, nuzzling her face into his neck. He smelled a bit different and she scrunched her brow, trying to place the scent. "You know I never sleep well unless I'm in Konoha and I've seen you." She sighed happily.

He caught up to Toshiro and Minako, who were flanking him. Wordlessly, the group headed back to Konoha, each worn for different reasons.


	7. Konoha

**Here's a list of their ages:**

**Toshiro - 21**

**Satomi - 19**

**Natsumi - 19**

**Yuki - 13**

**Minako - 19**

**Shuhei - 13**

**Akito - 20**

**Ken - 20**

**Kumori - 20**

**Kallen - 11**

**Yuri - 11**

**Aftershock**

_Chapter One_

-Konoha-

_**Two Years Later…**_

"Mina hurry up! The sooner we leave, the sooner I get to see Yuki-chan and her glorious hair!" Her little brother, Shuhei, yelled.

Minako rolled her eyes at him. Ever since he was young he had been obsessed with Yuki's crimson locks. And that obsession had led him to have a crush on her. One that the young Sabaku didn't return. At all. But she knew they were promised to each other, so it was good that he held affections for the girl.

"I'm coming!" she yelled back, taking one last look at her childhood bedroom. She'd wanted to grab a few things before their journey to Suna. About a year and a half ago she had finally moved out and gotten a place of her own, much to the displeasure of her father. But she needed the independence. Her parents had sheltered her, her entire life, and she was ready to get out and face the world. Alone.

She ran down the stairs and met her family. "Ready?" her mother asked.

"Yes Mama." She replied.

"Alright! Let's go see Gaara!" her father yelled, pumping a fist into the air and starting off. He was such a child sometimes.

As they left the village she held in a sigh. She would be the first to admit that she was nervous about seeing her friends again. She hadn't changed much over the years, but what had changed about her was drastic. She still wore the same clothes, but had to get a different fit, since out of nowhere she had sprouted breasts that rivaled her mother's. And she had stopped wearing her hair in a ponytail, instead letting the long, ebony locks hang at her waist. She thought it gave her a more sophisticated look.

Akito met them at the gate, his pack on his shoulders. He had grown more over the years, and was now taller than his father. His shoulders were broader and his waist slim, and he had defined muscles from all the training he did.

"Hi Akito-nii-san! Are you excited to go to Suna?! I just bet Natsumi-chan can't wait to see you!" her brother said, bounding over to them.

"Hn." The Uchiha replied, looking over at his silent friend. He was not only going as an 'escort', but he was also going so that he could see his friends. "You okay Minako?" he asked, raising a questioning brow at her.

"Oh she's fine. She just can't wait to see Toshiro. You know, two years is a long time to be away from the person you lo-"

Minako punched her little brother in the face, effectively shutting him up. As he nursed the wound and went crying to their father, she looked over at Akito. "I'm just nervous that's all. What do you think Suna is like?" she asked. She had heard of it, but had never been there, since the sand siblings always traveled to Konoha.

"Dry. Hot. Sunny." He said shortly.

"Well duh." She said, rolling her eyes.

"What do you expect me to say? I've never been there either." He said with a shrug.

"Hey you two! Pick up the pace! I want to see Yuki-chan!" Shuhei yelled from in front of them.

"Shuhei, remember what I said. Patience is a virtue." Hinata told him softly.

"But Hinata-chan, you know Shuhei is just like me, and I don't have an ounce of patience." Naruto said, smiling at his wife. "Besides, he always gets that way when he's excited about something."

"Yeah! Dad's totally right!" the young blonde exclaimed.

"Well calm down. You don't want to freak everyone out when we get there." Minako scolded.

"Whatever Mina. What happened to you? You used to be fun." Her brother pouted, crossing his arms.

"I grew up." She said softly. Truth be told she had made it a point to become more reserved, like her mother. People treated her with more respect, and she wasn't as likely to come across as annoying.

The group traveled in silence after that, well, all except for Naruto and Shuhei. Naruto was telling his son about all the cool things you could do in Suna, and about his previous visits. Hinata would chime in every once in a while, mostly to stop Naruto from over-exaggerating, as was his way.

Three days later had them coming upon the village, its huge walls making it a clear dot on the horizon. Suna. Minako looked at it anxiously. She wondered how Toshiro had changed over the years. Was he still aloof and uncaring? Would he notice how she had changed?

A man with purple paint on his face greeted them. "What's up Kankuro?! Man, I haven't seen you in forever. You look old." Naruto said, going up to the man and patting him on the back.

"Well you don't exactly look like a spring chicken either." Kankuro said with a laugh. Then he looked at Hinata. "Is that Hinata? I didn't recognize you with short hair."

She brought her hand to her hair self-consciously. "Well I was tired of dealing with long hair, so I decided to cut it back to the way I wore it as a Genin." She told him.

"I like it." He said with a smile, and then he turned to the rest of the group. Looking at Shuhei he laughed. "Wow, you look exactly like your dad. How unfortunate for you."

"Shut up Kankuro! I am a handsome devil and you know it!" Naruto yelled, balling his fists.

"Yeah! At least I don't hide my ugly face with makeup! Because it isn't ugly!" Shuhei yelled, supporting his father.

"I hate you already." Was all he said, looking over at Minako.

"You know, if I was twenty years younger, man, I could go for you." He told her, giving her a sly look.

Akito stepped in between them defensively. "Pervert." He ground out. Minako had always liked Toshiro, and until the redhead proved that he didn't care for her as well, she would remain single.

Kankuro waved his hands in front of him, trying to placate the young Uchiha. "Easy! I don't even have to ask to know who your father is. Does he have the same emotional problems?" the brunette asked, looking sideways at Naruto, who simply shrugged.

"Not to the same degree, but he is a tight ass."

"Naruto-kun! I will not have you using such language in front of the children! It only encourages them!" Hinata gasped, smacking her husband on the arm.

"Sorry Hinata-chan!" he apologized, rubbing the sore spot on his arm.

"Can we go see everyone now?!" Shuhei asked impatiently.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to escort you. Follow me." The brunette said with a wave, beginning to walk into the village.

Minako looked around in awe. It was much grander than she thought it would be, and she really liked it. She was mindful of their surroundings, and subconsciously memorized the path they were taking for future reference. They came upon a large building, not unlike Hokage Tower. Walking up a bunch of stairs, they stopped in front of a set of large double doors.

She took a deep, calming breath. This was it. She would get to see everyone after so long. Before Kankuro could announce them however, her younger brother had already burst through the doors.


	8. Suna

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Two_

-Suna-

"Okay Toshiro, make sure you look nice." Sakura said, licking her finger and trying to fix her son's hair.

The redhead sent his mother a threatening glare, trying to brush her hand away. "Mom, stop it. Why do I have to look good? She has to marry me anyways."

"But you want to make a good impression don't you? First impressions are the most important after all. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." She recited, straightening his vest.

Gaara laughed then and crossed his arms, giving his wife a small smirk. "Right Sakura. What was our first encounter? I tried to kill you didn't I?"

"Yeah, and I thought you were a psychotic freak. I still do. But that doesn't mean I love you less." She countered with a smirk of her own.

"It's not like he needs to make a first impression Mom," Natsumi snickered.

Satomi laughed and nodded with her sister. "Yeah. After all it doesn't count as a first impression if you've already met her." The older twin had her hair braided still. She liked having her long hair tied back so it was out of her face. Now her hair was down to the small of her back and always looked perfect. She wore a dark red shirt, much like her mother used to, with no sleeves and black capris stopping just below her knees. While Natsumi looked very much the same, except that she had gotten a little taller.

Toshiro glared at the two, why did they always seem to know what was going on? And now he was a bit curious as to whom this mystery bride was.

"Hush girls, you'll ruin the surprise." Sakura said, giving them a scolding look.

Yuki just scowled at the whole scene. Why were they always so happy? She hoped that her brother hated his new bride, just out of spite. It would be hilarious if she drove him crazy. This thought caused her to smirk. She would watch the whole thing go down with a bag of popcorn.

Suddenly the doors burst open and an energetic blonde ran in, hugging Yuki tightly. "Yuki-chan! I missed you so much!" he said, rubbing his cheek against hers.

"Get off me you freak!" she yelled, reaching her hand between their faces and shoving him off. She glared at him hatefully.

"Whatever, you know you missed me. Who else would complement your radiant hair?" he asked, smiling at her.

Naruto walked in then. "Hey guys!" he said with a wave. Then he looked around the room, his gaze stopping on the desk. His eyes narrowed as he examined it closer.

"Oh my God! You guys are going to make your son use the same desk you did dirty things on?! That's just wrong!" he exclaimed, horrified.

Sakura clenched her fist threateningly at the blonde. "Shut up Naruto. We didn't-"

Gaara cleared his throat, getting his wife's attention. "Remember how the twins were conceived."

She quieted down immediately and blushed. "Oh. Yeah."

Toshiro looked at the desk, slightly horrified. Then he began to slowly move away from it. Hinata walked in and stopped next to the blonde, blushing at what he had just said. Then Akito came in, a disinterested look on his face.

Natsumi's eyes brightened as the Uchiha entered. "AKITO!" instead of doing what was proper she ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I didn't know you were coming! This is so exciting! Now I get to show you Suna and all the great things here. And I can even show you my room." She snickered deviously. He just smiled down at her and returned her embrace.

The young Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he counted off the people here. His suspicions rose and then were confirmed by her slow entrance.

Minako entered the room and smiled as she saw her friends. Some things never changed. "Hey guys." She said softly.

The younger twin detached herself from the Uchiha and hugged her friend tightly. "Oh Minako! We're going to be sisters now!"

Toshiro's eyes went wide with sudden realization. "WHAT?! I'm marrying _her_?!" he glared at his mother, pointing an accusing finger at Minako.

Her brow stitched together in confusion. "I don't understand. Why would I marry Toshiro-sama?" she asked, looking over to her parents.

Satomi simply rolled her eyes as Gaara glared at his blonde friend. Natsumi laughed and pulled away from her childhood friend. "What do you mean? Didn't your dad tell you? You're Toshiro's bride-to-be, since he's the new Kazekage." She smiled happily, as if it were the best news in the world. "Our parents have had this planned since like forever."

Toshiro's glare on his mother only increased, she was going to pay for this. No matter how much he loved her. Minako's gaze sharpened into an angry glare. "What?" she asked, voice flat.

Naruto placed his hand behind his head and began to laugh nervously. "Hehe, yeah sweetie. You have been promised to Toshiro since you were seven."

"No." she said simply, crossing her arms. At this Gaara turned his glare from Naruto and focused on the daughter.

"What?" he demanded.

"I said no. I'm not going to marry him." She repeated, looking straight at the older redhead.

"But honey, we already had all your things moved into his house!" Naruto whined. This caused Hinata to sigh and place her hand on her forehead from the oncoming headache.

"What?! You had all of my things moved here?" she asked angrily.

"Well yeah. Why else do you think I sent you on that long mission?" Naruto asked, looking at her as if she were stupid.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you were finally done coddling me and had realized how great of a shinobi I am? God, could you be any more stupid?!" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Minako, don't insult your father." Hinata said sternly. At this the young woman calmed a bit.

"My answer is still no. You will just have to repack _my_ things, and move them back to _my_ apartment. Where _I_ live. _Alone_." She emphasized.

"No! You are going to marry this boy and you are going to like it!" Naruto said, raising his voice slightly.

"You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a child anymore!" she yelled back.

The only person in the room without a dumbfound look was Yuki, who seemed to just be eating the moment up. She couldn't believe how awesome Minako was. She was actually _dissing _her brother.

"Yes I can! You are my daughter, and as your father I have that right!" Naruto yelled back, his face turning red from anger.

"You lost that right the minute I walked in here and found out that you had been lying to me most of my life! I understand why mom never told me, but you? How could you?" she asked, a hurt look on her face.

Naruto sighed. "I wanted it to be a surprise. I mean, you like him, right?" he asked, hope filling his voice.

"No, I don't. Toshiro-sama has been nothing but a friend over the years, and I am content for things to stay that way." She answered , crossing her arms. She was pleased that she hadn't blushed at the question, but she supposed it was because she was too angry to be embarrassed.

Naruto just looked astonished. "Oh. Well you're still going to marry him. Sakura-chan and I have been planning this for a long time, and I will not allow for our efforts to go to waste!" he declared, pointing a finger in the air.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I refuse to marry him? You can't force to marry someone against my will. If you have to, then why not force me to marry Akito-kun the way the Elders wanted? At least then I would be happy, comfortable, and in my village." She said, not thinking of the consequences.

Akito's eyes widened and he looked over to Natsumi, worried about what her reaction would be. He knew that the Elders had wanted him to marry Minako and produce super byakugan-sharingan babies, but they had both refused, since they each had their own weird, complicated relationships going on with their respective Sabakus.

To her nature, Natsumi was wide eyed and pissed. Her red headed brother looked more wounded than she had ever seen him. But his pained expression was soon replaced by a stoic façade. He was a Kazekage, and feelings were not something he dealt with. Ever. "Then go away." He managed out, glad his voice didn't falter like he had expected. Subconsciously, Toshiro moved closer to his mother, his only stable relationship.

By now all the attention in the room was on Natsumi, the look she was giving Minako was anything but friendly. Even Gaara seemed to get a worried look. The pink haired woman clenched her fists. She had thought that Minako was over Akito and their rivalry had ended. Obviously she was wrong, but she'd be damned if she let _anyone_ marry her Uchiha. And Akito was most certainly _hers_. "You little-" Natsumi began, approaching Minako with a dark aura.

The door slammed open and a worn messenger ran in, grabbing everyone's attention. "Kazekage-sama! Natsumi-sama!" he cried out, collapsing to the floor. Satomi was beside him in an instant, letting her healing powers flow into him. He had been badly injured. "It's Sound! They're at the gates trying to bring them down! There's more than we anticipated!"

Before he could get in another breath Natsumi was barking orders at the guards outside and telling Satomi to get to the hospital unless she called her. Toshiro headed for the door, locking gazes with Minako for only a second as he passed by her, going out of his way to avoid physical contact. Despite his emotionless face his eyes said it all. Just how badly she had hurt him.

Satomi stood and sighed, looking at both Akito and Minako. "Minako…you just dodged a charging rhino. I didn't think I'd have to tell you again just how territorial Natsumi is. You'd better watch it." It was friendly advice, but of course Satomi's monotone might have given the wrong impression. She gave her friend a small pat on the shoulder and then locked eyes with the Uchiha. "I don't like you." She gave him a dark smile and left.

The youngest of the Sabakus ran up, taking Minako's hands in hers, her emerald eyes bright. "Thank you so much Mina! You've made me the happiest girl alive! I can't believe you said all those awful things to Toshiro! It was great! Did you see how destroyed he looked! Man! I knew there was a reason I liked you! You have to teach me how to tear him down like that!"

"Daaaaaaaaaaaamn." Was all Shuhei said, giving his sister a disbelieving look.

"Shuhei, don't use such language." Hinata scolded.

"What?" he asked, shrugging. "What Mina said was way worse!"

Suddenly the reality of what she had just done hit her, the guilt flooding her system. She looked over at her best friend. "Akito-kun, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you shouldn't have." He told her, his tone slightly angry. "But you should be worried about Natsumi, not me." Then he left to go help with the battle.

She nodded, knowing that she would have to apologize to her friend when this was all over. And Toshiro. He probably hated her now. "What have I done?" she asked the room. Then she ran out so that nobody would see the tears in her eyes.

Naruto just looked over at his stunned friends. "Well, that didn't go as I planned."

"You think Naruto? You really are stupid!" Sakura yelled, walking towards him threateningly. "How could you not tell her?! And now look what happened?! She hurt _both_ my baby's feelings! I'll kill you!" she shouted, quickening her steps.

Gaara looked at Hinata threateningly. As much of Naruto's fault it was, she hadn't said anything either. "I hope you're both satisfied. And by the way…if Natsumi kills her this time, I'm not doing anything about it." He said seriously, leaving the room to go join his son.

Hinata looked down guiltily. "I'm going to go talk to Minako." She said, exiting the room.

Sakura just pounded Naruto into a pulp. "Wow Yuki-chan, your mom is kinda scary." Shuhei said, his eyes wide as he watched his father get pummeled. She blinked and watched the show as well.

"Yup, that's my mom. And from what I've heard he probably deserves it."

"Yeah." He agreed, watching the scene in fascination.

* * *

Natsumi stood on the high walls of Suna, watching the battle rage on. Sand clotted beside her and suddenly Toshiro was there. They both stared forward, not bothering with words. "Defense." Toshiro said softly, holding his fist out to the side.

"Offense." She replied as she had a hundred times before. She mimicked his action and touched her knuckles to his. "Save our people."

"Destroy our enemies." He recited and watched her disappear. He took in a slow breath and made a few hand signs, letting sand pour out from the desert and reinforce the walls of his village.

Natsumi appeared in the chaos of the battle, kunai drawn in both hands. She ran at the nearest group of ninja and weaved in and out, feeling their blood fill the air like mist as she slit their vitals. She flipped back as a stray tried to attack her. She threw her two kunai and nailed him right between the eyes and dead center of his heart. She glanced around and jumped up, using her sand to launch her as two other tried to slam into her. She twirled in the air, nailing them both with her heel and then landing gracefully on the ground.

Her hands slowly began to glow. This was her favorite part of fighting. She liked to watch her enemies suffer. She jumped over a corpse and placed her hands on both shoulders of a man from the opposing country. He let out a pained scream and collapsed. She continued her maneuvers and dodged a few fatal blows. There was suddenly a presence behind her and she knew it was going for the kill. But then it was gone and replaced by another. She turned, ready to strike with her lethal jutsu but stopped just before her hand made contact. "Akito!" she gasped, looking down at her hand that was right above his heart.

"Hey squirt. I thought you could use some help." He said with a smirk. Then his red eyes made contact with someone behind her. A pained scream was let out, and then his gaze was back on hers.

She stared at him, the conversation from earlier flashing in her mind. She was going to _kill_ Minako. "If you want to, I don't mind." She said with a bored expression, but he could see the smile trying to stretch across her face. The sand around them picked up and shifted, forming into large spikes stretching out at the surrounding ninja. "But you'll have to keep up." She told him, turning around so her back was to him. "If you can that is," she winked, placing her finger under his chin as she leaned against him.

He smirked down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We'll see." He said, and then he threw a kunai straight at an enemy ninja's heart without breaking eye contact with her.

"Wow." She snickered. "Don't you ever stop getting better Uchiha Akito?" she arched a brow, moving away from him then, letting her finger slide forward until she broke physical contact with him.

"Never. I like to keep people on their toes." He said, smacking her lightly on the bottom. Before she could say anything he had run off, drawing his katana and hacking his way through the enemy army.

Her face was such a dark red she could have been mistaken for a tomato. "Akito!" she huffed, chasing after him, unable to tear her gaze from his own behind. _Oh god_, she tried to shake the thoughts from her head. This was not the place to be thinking such things. Once she zeroed in on him she took off and flipped over him, using both her feet to take out two of the shinobi in front of him. Quickly, she pulled out two kunai and threw them down into the two ending their short lives. She ran at her Uchiha then, manipulating her sand into disks and sending them to the sides slicing up their surrounding enemies. She stopped right in front of him, causing him to halt as well. "You think you can just do that and run away from me?" she asked grabbing onto his shoulders and pulling herself up. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and leaned back, releasing his shoulders as she threw two kunai from his own pouch at two men behind her.

He pulled her back up to him, pressing her chest to his tightly. "I never run away. There were just people that needed killing." He stated. Then he brought his face next to her ear. "Brace yourself." He whispered huskily. Then her ear grew hot as he shot out his family's fire jutsu.

She gasped, the intensity of the heat was more than she thought it would be. "Well aren't you on fire today." She snickered, keeping a tight grip on him until he was finished. When the fire died down the desert air seemed cold. "Wow Akito, you really make it hot." She teased, pressing her lips against his neck and giving him a small bite. She leaned back and touched her gloved hands to the sandy floor and flipped away from him in a taunting way. When she was upside down, her shirt moved up her stomach, fully revealing her scar from two years ago. She stood and pulled out another kunai, shoving it straight through an ugly brunette's eye. He screamed and ran around, trying to save himself.

He stared at the scar, happy to see that she showed it without pause. It meant that everyone knew she was his. He flipped over her, adding lightning into his blade and cutting down an enemy. Then he turned around and pulled her to him, so that her back was pressed into his front. Flinging his arm forward, lightning shot out of his blade and scorched an enemy a few feet away from them. Then he tilted his head and looked at her. "You seem kinda hot Natsumi. Let me help you." He said, licking away the bead of sweat that had slid down her throat. Then he moved away from her swiftly, getting into a sword fight with a ninja that actually seemed like he knew what he was doing. That is, until he looked over at the pink haired beauty. That was his mistake as Akito sliced off his arm, and then his head, getting splattered with blood in the process.

She watched him with a smirk on her face. Fighting had never been so much fun. Another ninja came running at her but she skillfully turned around in one fluid movement and grabbed the back of his neck, slamming his face into the sand. The particles crawled over him and began ripping him apart slowly. She stood, dusting her hands off only to be face to face with Akito once more. "Very impressive," she complimented, letting one of her hands run through his perfect locks.

He leaned into her touch without thinking about it. "You're not too bad yourself." He replied, smiling at her.

A thick sand wall erupted between the two, separating them. Toshiro appeared in a flurry of sand, glaring at both of them equally. "What the _hell _do you two think you're doing?" he demanded, then holding his hands up to silence them. He turned his gaze to Natsumi and shook his head. "Wait until dad finds out you were practically having sex with Akito on the battlefield."

She went wide eyed at the thought, their father would _murder_ Akito and then her shortly after. But the only thing that blurted out of her mouth was, "We weren't having sex idiot! Obviously, both our clothes are still on." She said simply, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Well actually…you _can_ have sex while still wearing your clothes." Akito said, looking at Natsumi. "At least, that's what I was told." He continued, looking away, a light pink dusting his cheeks.

She stared wide eyed at him and then looked at her brother, who was pissed. "How about we focus on the task at hand and later, after it's all over, you can taint her bed and take her there. Maybe you can tie her up Akito, I'm sure you've had some experience there." He hinted, disappearing before his friend could get in another word.

"Huh?" Natsumi blinked and then focused on the Uchiha, who looked horrified.

"It's nothing." He dismissed. Then he walked away from her, heading off to continue the fight, all previous flirtations forgotten. Sometimes, he really hated Toshiro.

Curious she followed after him, keeping pace. "Akito, what's wrong?" she asked, grabbing onto his arm and making him stop.

"Nothing. Let's just wrap this up. I'm sure Minako is just waiting to grovel at your feet for the stupid things she said." He told her, grabbing a kunai from his holster and throwing it off into the distance.

Her soft gaze hardened into a glare. She knew he was keeping something from her and she absolutely hated it. "Fine." She said, walking the opposite way. She would finish this now. She stopped in the middle of a small clearing between the fight and held her hands out, stretching out her fingers. The sand around the whole area began to turn, mimicking the actions of a whirlpool. Slowly, more than half of the remaining enemies were sucked into the riptide of sand. Natsumi kneeled down and slammed her hands down on the surface, crushing all her foes beneath the golden waves.

Akito summoned a few clones, and all at once they headed into the small mass of ninjas left. They expertly wielded their swords, slicing and dicing as they ran, flipped, and twisted through the enemy group. Once all of them were dead the clones disappeared, leaving a slightly winded Akito in the middle. He wiped his blade off on a corpse, and then sheathed it. Then he walked over to Natsumi, stopping a foot away from her.

"So…" she said locking eyes with him, his crimson gaze didn't fade like it usually did. "The elders from Konoha want you to marry Minako…"

"Hn. They only wanted us to make super Hyuuga-Uchiha babies, nothing else. We were against it from the start, since our interests lie elsewhere." He answered vaguely.

Her eyes widened a bit. "Really? Like…where?" she asked, feeling the blush creep up her cheeks.

"You know…outside the village and such." He answered, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

She could feel her eye twitching as she stepped closer. She really wanted an answer. "Like?" she questioned again.

"Like…about three days away or so…depending on how fast you travel." He responded, looking away from her.

She grabbed the top of his tight black shirt and dragged him a bit lower to her level. "Just say it damnit!" she yelled, her jade locking with his sharingan.

"It's you okay? Are you happy now? God, you're so persistent." He said, eyes finally fading to their forest green. Her angry gaze vanished and she stared at him in awe.

"Really?"

"Yes. Now let's go before I say something else embarrassing." He said, grabbing her hand and walking back towards the village.

She couldn't fight the smile that made its way to her face. Her grip on his hand tightened and she walked with him in pure bliss. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping for, but it was on the right track right? She was so happy right now nothing could possibly bring her down. How wrong she was.


	9. Apology

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Three_

-Apology-

"You don't understand Mom. They probably all hate me now. I just insulted their family." Minako cried into her mother's lap.

Hinata continued to stroke her daughter's head comfortingly. "You were upset sweetheart, it's okay. All you have to do is go apologize to them."

Minako sniffed. "But, Natsumi-chan looked like she wanted to kill me, I offended Gaara-sama, and Shiro-kun looked like I had stabbed him in the back."

"Everyone makes mistakes Minako. You just have to face them head on. Gaara-sama was right when he said that I didn't do anything. I just stood there and watched, and I didn't even tell you about the marriage beforehand, like a good mother would have." Hinata said, tears forming in her eyes.

Minako sat up and looked at her mother. "But Mama, I know you were just doing what daddy said. I'm not mad at you for not saying anything. I just don't understand why daddy always has to interfere in my life, and tell me what to do. He won't let me grow up." She said, eyes watering again.

"Sweetie, he loves you. You're his baby girl. Did you ever think that maybe he coddled you for so long because he knew you were going to leave him when Toshiro turned twenty-one? He wanted as much time with you that he could get. It broke his heart when you moved out."

"I just had to get away. Live my own life. And when I finally got a taste of independence he just uproots me from the only place I've ever called home. If I am supposed to marry Shiro-kun, then why didn't he let me visit Suna? You know, get to know the villagers and stuff?" she asked, wiping away her tears.

Hinata gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "It would have been the smart choice, but with our marriage, your birth, and your father becoming Hokage, there wasn't any time. Then when you were old enough to travel we had Shuhei, and then your Chuunin Exams, then your Jounin Exams, Shuhei's Chuunin Exams…it all just piled up and we didn't have the time."

"You could have let me come on my own you know. Or on a mission." Minako sighed, exasperated with her parents.

"But your father refused. He wanted so badly to be with you when you first visited Suna, that's why he was so excited about this trip." Her mother explained.

"Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that I have ruined all hopes of Shiro-kun ever liking me. Even as a friend. He probably doesn't even want to marry me anymore." She said dejectedly.

"Wait, you mean you've changed your mind?" Hinata asked, unable to mask the hope in her voice.

"Yes. The answer was never really no to begin with. I just felt the need to defy dad. Again. And I know that the marriage was arranged in order to strengthen the bonds between our villages and stuff. Plus, I don't want all those boring lessons and meetings I had to attend to go to waste." Minako replied, smiling slightly.

She stood from the bed at the hotel her family was staying at then and walked to the door. "Wish me luck Mama, I may not come back from this alive." She said over her shoulder, and then left the room. She figured it was best to start with Gaara, since he was the more level headed of the three. She hoped.

She found the elder redhead in the Kazekage's office, sitting in his old chair. She knocked softly and waited for permission to enter. "Gaara-sama?" she asked timidly, peeking her into the room. "May I speak with you?"

Pale jade eyes focused on the woman as she walked in. He sighed and turned a bit in his chair to get a better look at her. "Yes Minako. What is it?"

She bowed low in respect, and began to speak to the ground. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I meant you and your family no disrespect. I was just angry, and I let my anger cloud my judgment. I would be honored to marry your son, if he still wants me."

His bored expression didn't change. Minako wasn't used to this kind of reaction from anyone. "It's fine." He said solemnly, picking up a pen that was sitting on the desk and twirling it in his hand. "But you do know Natsumi's going to kill you. She's got some weird thing with that _irritating_ Uchiha." He frowned, the displeasure now aimed at the man who dare find his daughter attractive. "I really don't like him…" he mumbled.

Minako straightened up and blinked. "But…Gaara-sama he hasn't done anything bad…" she was a bit confused by Gaara's annoyance.

"So? He's an Uchiha and that means he's bad." He nodded, closing his eyes.

"Oh…okay. Thank you." She said, grateful that he had forgiven her so quickly. Now all she had to do was apologize to Natsumi and Toshiro. She decided to do Natsumi first, since she had never seen Toshiro's anger before, and was afraid to.

That was when the door burst open and Toshiro ran in, going straight up to the desk and ignoring her completely. He didn't even spare her a glance. "Dad! You will never guess what Akito and Natsumi were doing!"

The older redhead's eyes flashed open and his gaze turned quickly to a glare. "That vile boy deflowered my precious blossom?!" he yelled, slamming his hands on the desk as he rose.

The doors were thrown open again and Natsumi slid to a stop with Akito right behind her, and he was _right_ behind her, placing his hands on her hips to hold her back from lashing out at her brother. "He's lying!" she screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Toshiro. "We did not have sex! We were just fighting the enemies together!"

Minako's eyes widened and she looked to Akito, who appeared to be unconcerned with the whole situation.

Toshiro scoffed and took his place by his father's side. "Dad, trust me they were doing indecent things to each other. Natsumi wrapped her legs around his waist and they were all over one another. I'm pretty sure I saw her bite his neck and vice versa. Akito definitely had his mouth all over her."

The pink hair woman went a dark shade of red. "We were just fighting!" she screamed at the two, only making her father seem angrier. "Why does it matter anyway, it's none of your damn business emo!" she glared at her brother and then shifted to her father. "And I'm nineteen years old, I can do whatever I want! And you know what? Aunt Ino told me about the time when you were totally naked in mom's house! _Before_, you were married, so you can just suck it dad!"

Everyone was silent then, even Toshiro moved away from their father out of fear. "I'm going to go find mom." He said quietly, leaving the room quickly, going out of his way to avoid all contact with the dark haired girl.

"Sabaku no Natsumi. You better watch yourself." Gaara said darkly, for the first time glaring at his daughter.

"How about you watch yourself dad. What, because Akito is an Uchiha and Toshiro comes and tattles you automatically assume that I've done something bad? I'm a bit classier than that so when I do _that_, it's not going to be in a crowd of people with blood raining down from above. Got it? You aren't allowed to tell me anything I do is inappropriate." She stated crossing her arms and glaring right back. "Or should I go get mom and name off the countless times you guys made waffles when we were only kids! Oh and by the way, the walls aren't that thick."

Gaara went wide eyed and kept silent. "You do not speak of waffles, do you understand. I _will _ground you."

She wavered a bit, when her father got calm that was always when something bad happened. The old Kazekage walked towards them and gave her a warming glance and then focused on Akito. "You better watch yourself, _boy_." He said sharply, leaving the room then.

Akito's slightly widened eyes looked from the empty doorway to Natsumi. "Should I be concerned?" he asked her, unconsciously tracing her scar.

"Probably," she shrugged and smiled, loving his caressing touch. Then she looked over at the other presence in the room.

Akito let go of her and walked over to his friend. Placing a hand on her shoulder he whispered, "Good luck." And then he turned to leave, smacking Natsumi's bottom once more.

Natsumi yelped, watching him leave with a large blush on her face. Then she faced Minako and her girlish features disappeared in an angry glare. "Why do you always have to try and take him from me Minako? I don't understand, I thought you _liked _Toshiro. Yet when you get to marry him, you bash him and try and take away the only person I've ever liked. What's wrong with you, huh?" she asked crossing her arms angrily, making her shirt slide up some to fully reveal the clear scar.

She looked down in shame. "I did like Toshiro-sama, but the last time I saw him, he wasn't interested in me anymore, so I gave up. I didn't mean what I said about marrying Akito-kun, I swear." She said, tear-filled eyes looking back up at her friend. "I would never take him away from you, he's your special person." She murmured, looking off to the side. Those were the same words Toshiro had used to describe Akito and Natsumi all those years ago. She should have listened to him then.

"It doesn't matter anyways. You saw the look on his face. He won't want me now, in any shape or form." She said solemnly.

"You know Minako sometimes you are really, really stupid. He liked you for years but you were so busy trying to take Akito away he thought you liked him!" she yelled, clenching her fists.

The look on her face was purely dumbfounded. "He did? Really?" Then she smacked her forehead. "Oh God I'm such an idiot! Why do I always ruin everything?! If I had known, if I had seen….I don't know…things would definitely be different." The ebony haired woman said miserably.

She stared at her friend, more anger in her eyes. "Well it's not like you ever gave him room to show you. He's not a jerk Minako, if you liked Akito he wouldn't get in your way, because he _wanted_ you to be happy. And for your information, he's the way he is now because of a lot of things that have happened. He still hasn't forgiven himself for our little brother dying. And you have _no_ idea the pressure he is under right now trying to be a good Kazekage. The war is at its peak and the deciding factors are upon us. You have _no_ idea!" she glared. She didn't care if Minako was a Hokage's daughter. Suna was different than Konoha. And she really didn't understand the politics of this place yet. Natsumi closed in on her friend, not letting their eyes go astray. "How do you think I felt, knowing all this time that you and my brother were betrothed? I knew he liked you, so how fair was it that you got both Akito _and_ my brother?!"

"Do you have any idea what I went through Minako?! A man carved this into my body just out of spite for my love!" she screamed now, lifting her shirt and showing her the full view of her scar.

Minako's eyes widened in realization as to when she had gotten that scar. It was then that she realized exactly how much Natsumi loved Akito, and it was a lot more than Minako ever had. "Natsumi-chan…I-I didn't know." She stuttered, her tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. Why had her father kept so much from her?! Why was she always left in the dark when it came to important things?

"My father never told me anything about the war…he wouldn't even let me fight among the others…or go on dangerous missions…" she said, gripping her head and sinking to the floor, overwhelmed by everything she was learning. Her father had done more than coddle her, her entire life. He had kept her completely ignorant of the world around her, unknowingly making her dependent on him. And she hated depending on people, it made her feel weak.

Natsumi's gaze softened. She didn't really want her friend to cry but she slowly began to realize Minako really didn't know anything about the war that was ravaging their lands. "Minako…" she said softly, her voice no longer angry. "I got kidnapped when I was little because of this war, our villages have been constantly attacked because of this war, when Mist came after me it was because of this stupid war. What exactly did you think was going on?" she asked sincerely, kneeling down beside her friend and touching her shoulder comfortingly.

"Look, I understand. You and I are very different, about as alike as Suna and Konoha. I've been training and fighting my entire life for my village, for my family, and my friends. I became strong because I wanted Akito. I love him, I've loved him since I was a little girl. Get out of your shell you idiot." She said harshly, but there was a hint of humor in her voice. "You will never get what you want by being timid or afraid. It doesn't matter if you fail or if you aren't strong enough. At least stand up and try and do something. If you're so upset about being in the dark then come out already, cause' there's plenty of light to go around."

Minako smiled slightly at her friend, dropping her hands. "Thank you Natsumi-chan, I will." Then a pained look came across her face. "But, what if he doesn't want to even be friends anymore? I wouldn't blame him. I said some awful things."

Natsumi rolled her eyes and gave Minako a small bonk on the head. "Well you're like the nicest person alive Minako, and you've got an enormous rack. There's no way." She laughed, giving her a small nudge.

She blushed, laughing with her friend. "Can you locate him by sensing his sand? I still don't know my way around, and would rather not get lost." She said sheepishly.

"Oh I don't need my sand to find him. He's at the hospital." She said simply. "Whenever he's upset he's with my mom and my mom is always at the hospital." She explained with a small shrug. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go teach Akito how to play king/queen of the bed…I mean hill…" she blushed a bit and then waved quickly, dashing off before Minako could ask any questions.

With a sigh she rose from the floor and headed to the Suna hospital, praying that Toshiro would find it in his heart to forgive her.

* * *

Toshiro walked into the hospital, looking around the front desk and continuing on without even greeting the nurses at the front. He searched the halls, finally spotting his mother and sister walking down that hall with big smiles on their faces. They looked tired, but by their auras the day had run smoothly, even with the attack.

"Mommy." Toshiro said childishly, getting the older woman's attention. Satomi focused on her brother and could instantly tell something was off.

"I'll go check on the little ones, Mom." She said softly, giving her brother a quick hug before heading down to the children's center.

"What is it sweetheart?" she asked, concern marring her brow.

He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, just like he had when he was little. Only this time, his head was resting on hers. "I don't understand what I did."

She returned his embrace and began to rub his back, just as she always did when he was upset. "Are you referring to this morning?" she asked, though she was pretty sure she was right. She didn't fault Minako, that much, but what had been said would hurt even the most stoic of people.

He nodded slowly and his grip tightened. "I never did anything wrong to her. I don't understand…and I don't even want to marry her. I don't want to get married."

She sighed. "It's for the benefit of our villages in this time of war. We thought Minako was the best choice because you two were comfortable around each other. And you would make the most adorable babies..."

"Mom." He said, cutting her off.

"Anyways, I know you didn't do anything wrong. It's that idiot Naruto's fault. He should have at least told her that she was promised to someone, instead of giving her false independence. Dumbass." She murmured.

He sighed and pulled away from her, giving her a skeptical look. "And she's liked Akito all this time. I can't see how this is ever going to go over well. How come I have to have an arranged marriage and you didn't?"

"Because things were different in my day. Besides, if I hadn't fallen in love with your father, I would have been forced to marry Sasuke and have his children." She said in disgust. "Not that he produced an ugly child mind you, but still…he just isn't your father." She said in wonder.

Then she put her hands on her hips and glared at her son lightly. "And how do you know if she likes Akito or not? Have you asked her? Sure, she may have liked him when she was young, but people change as they grow up. I mean, look at me. I loved Sasuke, but then as I grew older I realized that I never really loved him, I only thought I did. And your father, in his stupidity, assumed that I still loved him when I came here all those years ago. Then when he did ask, he _still_ thought I was going to choose Sasuke! God! It angers me even now…." Then she pointed her finger at him. "So don't you go and assume that she likes the Uchiha. Besides, your sister would kill her if she ever suspected Minako liked him. What you need to do is go talk to her, I'm sure she's sorry about what she said." She finished, regaining control of her emotions once more.

"I don't want to!" he gave her a familiar glare.

"Sabaku no Toshiro! If you don't go talk to that girl you will suffer the consequences!" she threatened, glaring right back at him.

He went a bit wide eyed and shrunk back from his mother's rage. "Fine." He growled, turning his back on her and heading out of the place. He had just made it out the front door when he bumped into the girl he was looking for.

She stared up at him wide-eyed, having been halted in her mental preparations for the discussion to come. "Toshiro-sama!" she exclaimed, bowing slightly. "I was just looking for you."

"Uh…" he replied brilliantly. "I was looking for you too."

"Oh, well what is it?" she asked, prolonging her apology as long as possible.

He paled a bit, "Oh no. Ladies first." He gestured towards her.

She huffed lightly. "Well…I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I was just angry. Everything I'd ever known had been taken away from me, and I said some things that I shouldn't have. I would be honored to be your wife, if you still want me that is." She said, blushing slightly. Why was it harder to say to him than it was the others?

He blinked and stared at her for a while, trying to let her words sink in. She was sorry? As he thought about it her emotional state did make sense. "I'm sorry," he said as well. "I know it must be hard. But I guess we have to…for our villages."

She held in a frown. It seemed that would be what their marriage was founded on. Duty. It made her sad, since she had dreamed of marrying for love the way her parents did since she was a child. But she guessed that sometimes dreams didn't come true. "Yeah." She agreed. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Oh nothing, I was just looking for you." He said simply. After all she was feeling better, right?

"Oh okay. So…what now?" she asked, looking around awkwardly.

He looked around and then shrugged, "I guess I can take you to my house and show you around." He placed his hand on the small of her back and turned her around, leading her towards his own mansion.

She looked around the streets in awe. Suna was so much different from Konoha, but she liked it. It was very charming. "Is there a place where I can get ramen here?" she asked. "Because if not, we might have a problem." She said, giving him a small smile.

"I think we have one stand somewhere. I'm sure your dad will find it by the end of the day." He smiled, but then it soon fell. He let out a sigh and continued forward, they passed one mansion which he explained was where his parents and sisters lived. But a ways off there was a large house that looked recently built. "This is it." He gestured, pointing to the front. It was set off from all the others, wanting privacy for himself.

"It suits you." Was all she said as she walked forward. He opened the glass, cast-iron double doors and waited for her to enter. The entryway was grand, the floor tiled elegantly. That led to a huge grand staircase, with two wings on each side of the upstairs. To the left of the entryway there was a large sitting room, to the right a dining room. Next to the sitting room there was a hallway that led to the study. And next to the den was the wine cellar, with a small staircase leading to it. Past the staircase was the living room, which had a large fireplace. The kitchen connected and overlooked it, and was large, with an island in the center. There was also a door that led to the wine cellar.

In the far left corner of the living room was a small hallway that led to the master bedroom, which included a large bathroom containing a large tub. Across from the tub were two sinks, and next to those was a small room containing the toilet. At the end of the tub there was an elegant glass shower, and at the end of the bathroom there were two doors, leading into the connecting walk-in closet.

Upstairs and to the left there was a bedroom that connected to another one of a similar size with a jack-and-jill bathroom. On the outside of the bathroom were a series of steps that also led to the other bedroom. On the other side of the bedroom there was a small balcony that went over the foyer and led into another, larger bedroom, which connected to a small bathroom. Parallel to that balcony there was another walkway that allowed you to see into the foyer on one side, and the living room on the other. Outside the larger bedroom there was a walkway that overlooked the foyer, and led to the game room, which connected to a balcony that overlooked the backyard. Through the game room there was a small restroom, and across from that a large media room. Next to the restroom there was a hidden staircase that led down to a corner of the kitchen, next to the laundry room.

When Minako was finished receiving the tour she was in awe. The house was so grand for just two people, more so than where she had grown up. "Wow." Was all she could say. "So, which room were my things moved into?" She asked, having not really looked inside each of the closets for wanting to respect Toshiro's privacy.

"Um…well…you can pick whichever room you want. All your things were moved into my closet since I guess they were assuming we'd sleep together eventually." He explained, turning to face her once they were back in the living room.

"Okay." She went into the master bedroom and walked back to the closet, grabbing some of her clothes. She picked the largest guest bedroom, since it was near the front of the house and its adjoining bathroom had the most space, although, compared to the master bathroom it was really small.

Once she was done organizing her things into the small closet she went back downstairs, finding Toshiro in the living room, reading over a few scrolls. She clasped her hands behind her back and looked around. Seeing that it was nearing dusk, she asked, "What would you like for dinner?"

"Steak, medium rare, with asparagus and steamed broccoli. Everything you need is in the refrigerator. I like water with at least five ice cubes." He told her without even glancing up from the scroll. He picked up another and then set them down, writing a few notes on them both.

_Don't say anything Minako, just keep it to yourself_, she recited in her head. She never knew he was so particular. Next time she would just make whatever she felt like eating, and if he didn't like it he could make something himself.

She went into the kitchen and began the meal preparations. While everything was cooking she set the table with a little difficulty, since she didn't know where everything was. After about twenty minutes it was ready, so she neatly placed everything on the plates, wanting them to look nice. Just to spite him she put six ice cubes in his water, and then placed four in hers.

Then she sat down and unfolded her napkin, placing it neatly in her lap. After a while he came in reading a scroll and then saw the food, he sat down silently. He didn't even spare her a glance. It wasn't because he was ignoring her, he just had a lot on his mind. Slowly, he cut his steak and took a bite, grabbing his water and taking a sip. He stopped suddenly and looked at the water. With an irritated sigh he got up and dumped the water in the sink, preparing himself another glass, this time with five ice cubes. He sat back down and resumed eating, placing the scroll on the table to continue his work uninterrupted.

"Was there something wrong with your water?" she asked without looking up, taking a bite of asparagus.

"Yeah. You didn't make it right." He replied, not taking his eyes off his work. Taking a break from his utensils he made a few more notes, signing off on the paper then.

"There isn't a wrong way to make water. You said at least five ice cubes, so I put in six, because I like even numbers." She said smartly, cutting into her steak.

He stopped and looked up at her for the first time. "Fine. Next time put in five, because I like increments of five."

"Whatever. Then next time you can get your own water." She said, glancing at him as she took a bite of her steak.

His gaze turned into an icy glare. "Then don't offer to make dinner. I can do it myself if you don't want to do it correctly." He took another bite of his steak, finishing it for the most part and got up. He grabbed his scroll and dismissed himself, not wanting to deal with her anymore. This was going to be awful. He went back into the living room and gathered his things, heading towards his office. It was alright. Being the Kazekage was a busy job, all he had to do was throw himself into his work and his village and he wouldn't have to deal with his irritating wife-to-be.

"Fixing a glass of water is _not_ making dinner." She muttered. She finished her dinner in silence, enjoying being alone. When she was done she picked up her plate and his and went into the kitchen to clean up, making sure to put away all of the leftovers. Looking at the clock she noted the time, and decided to go to bed. She was going to hate living here, she could already tell.

She made her way to the stairs, glancing down the hallway at the study and noting that the light was still on. She had an impulse to tell him not to stay up too late working, but knew that it would go unheeded. So she went up to her room, got ready for bed, and went to sleep.


	10. Sharing

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Four_

-Sharing-

She couldn't sleep. It was just too hot. Konoha got pretty hot, but this was a dry heat, and she wasn't used to it. She had even tried wearing only her black underwear and matching black tank top. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her temples. What she really needed was something cold to eat. Deciding that was her best course of action, she got out of bed and crept out of her room.

She snuck down the stairs and into the kitchen, not wanting to wake Toshiro. She assumed he was asleep, since the study light was off, as were the rest of the lights in the house. Walking over to the fridge, she ran into the corner of the island, forgetting that it was there.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. She let out a relieved sigh when nothing happened. Then she walked over to the fridge and opened it. Nothing cold there. So she moved on to the freezer. Seeing an odd container, she took it out and pulled the lid off. It was ice cream. _Chocolate ice cream_. She hadn't had that in a while. So she opened the silver wear drawer and pulled out a spoon, deciding to eat it from the container.

"What are you doing?" Toshiro asked angrily, flipping on the lights and startling the poor girl. He was in nothing but black pajama pants, and they were a bit low, revealing the incline to his pelvis. His abs were perfectly toned, definitely the body of a man. His eyes dropped to what she was holding and his anger rose. "That is _my_ special ice cream!" he yelled, grabbing the container from her and jerking it away.

Her brow knit together in confusion. "It's just chocolate ice cream. Besides, we should get used to sharing." She told him, snatching the container back.

"No!" he pulled it back towards him. "My mom made this for me and she makes the best ice cream in Suna."

"Well then she can always make more, so give it over." She responded, tugging it towards her body.

He stepped closer to her, now ready to defend what was rightfully his. "Or you can go get your own damn ice cream." He seethed, giving it another hard yank. That was when he finally took in her appearance and his stomach dropped. It was obvious, even to her, where his eyes were glued.

Her face turned red as she realized what she was wearing, and what he wasn't. She released the container then, and began to back around the island towards the living room, wanting to avoid walking by him. "Fine, I will get some tomorrow." She said, attempting to tug her top down to cover her underwear, though it only revealed more of her cleavage. Just a few more steps and she could make a run for it.

He watched her intently, wide eyed at her appearance. She was definitely not a child anymore. He didn't know why he hadn't noticed this earlier. Finally when she had backed out of the room and run back upstairs, he noticed the container on the ground. The spell now broken, he growled and glared up at the open balcony second story, knowing she wasn't in her room yet. "You dropped it!"

"It's not my fault your reflexes aren't good enough! Ninja!" she mocked, shutting her door.

"AGH!" he growled, throwing his hands up in the air. What an aggravating woman! He opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a dish towel, wetting it and starting to clean up the mess. This was going to get real old. Real fast. After he was finished and the kitchen was once again spotless, he threw the towel into the sink and went back through the living room to his room. He wanted to go to sleep and go to work so he could be away from her.

* * *

She woke up about an hour before dawn, having not been able to sleep very well. After showering off the night's sweat, she went downstairs and began to make pancakes. Seeing the towel in the sink, she smiled to herself. It was kind of funny to aggravate him.

She threw some bacon and sausage onto another skillet and put the towel in the hamper. She would do laundry later, after she bought some ice cream. Soon breakfast was done, so she set the table and poured them both a glass of orange juice. If he wanted water, he could get it himself.

It wasn't too long later that Toshiro emerged from the hallway to the master bedroom. He was pulling on his black gloves and then securing a messenger bag to his side. It was probably filled with all the scrolls he had been working on the night before. He stopped in the kitchen and gave her a once over before getting himself a glass of water. Five ice cubes. He finished it there and then set the glass in the sink. When he made his way past the kitchen table he stopped and saw the food, "Well I _was_ hungry, but if this is the best you have to offer I'll just pick something up on the way to work." He sighed and then headed for the front door. "See you later." He waved without turning around to meet her angry gaze. Then she heard the door shut and was left all alone.

She threw away all of the food in a huff, and then scrubbed the dishes angrily. She was going to kill him. Either that, or just put herself out of her misery and commit suicide. Not having anything else to do, she left the house, angrily slamming the door. She needed to find Natsumi, or Akito. She had to talk to somebody. Knowing that they were probably together, she stretched her chakra, sensing them nearby at some training fields.

They stopped sparring when she stepped onto the field, and she walked straight up to her pink headed friend. "I'm going to kill him." She said seriously.

Natsumi laughed and smiled at her to be sister in law. "What? Can't handle the five ice cubes rule?"

She growled and threw her hands up in the air. "It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! And he just orders me around like some servant. Then, I made him breakfast this morning, and he completely insulted my culinary skills, saying that he would get something on the way to work. I'm an excellent chef, right Akito-kun?!" she asked, giving the stoic man a pleading look.

"Well yes. I've never had a problem with the food you make." He admitted, brow drawing together in contemplation. He thought Toshiro at least liked Minako a little bit. Did he not remember how sensitive she was? Or was he being an ass on purpose? Whatever it was, it didn't sit well with him.

"Minako just calm down," the pink haired woman placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Toshiro is just high maintenance and he isn't used to someone being in his house. You have to remember he's the first and only son, of the greatest Kazekage of Suna. I know it was different in Konoha since you were older when your dad was finally a Kage, but here it's more like hierarchy than anything. Just give him some time, I'm sure he'll loosen up." She picked up her water bottle and took a sip. She looked at it then and sighed, "Oh darn. Hey Minako this water only had three ice cubes can you go get me a new one with five?" she teased, shaking the water bottle in front of the dark haired woman's face.

Her eye began to twitch angrily at her friend. "Shut up Natsumi-chan. I highly doubt he'll loosen up, since according to him I dropped the ice cream last night." She said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

This made her go wide eyed, "You dropped my mom's ice cream?! That's bad, it's his favorite thing in the whole world!"

"I didn't mean too! He was _staring_, and I became really uncomfortable." She said, making sure that her friend knew what she meant. "And if it meant that much he should have caught it. It's not my fault his reflexes are slow."

Natsumi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "No duh Minako, your boobs are the size of Konoha's Kage Mountain! Any man would be brought into a stupor by them!" she stopped then and gave Akito a sideways glance. "Well maybe not _any_ man…right Akito?" she asked, giving him a threatening look.

"No, of course not…no offense." He said, giving Natsumi an annoyed look.

"None taken. Besides, everybody knows that Natsumi-chan's boobs are the only ones you've ever stared at." Minako said, smirking at him.

His eyes went wide then. "_Shut up_ Minako." He warned. He didn't want Natsumi to get any more ideas in that pretty little head of hers.

"Trust me Minako. Just wait it out a bit and it'll all get better. And if not just ask my mom to teach you how to make the ice cream." She said happily, setting her hands on her hips.

"I'll think about it." the ebony haired woman sighed. "I'm going to go find my father." She told them, heading off to find the village's ramen stand.

"So…you like to look at my chest?" Natsumi asked, raising a brow at Akito.

He gave her a menacing stare. "Don't go getting any ideas. Let's just finish the spar." He said, walking back to his spot.

"You can't stop the ideas, Akito-_sama_," she said seductively, coming behind him and running her finger down his spine.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him in a sharp tug. "I don't want you to call me that unless you're screaming it in ecstasy for all to hear." He murmured huskily in her ear. Then he stroked her cheek in a gentle caress.

A dark blush crept up her cheeks as her mind wandered and gave her vivid pictures. She leaned into his hand and smirked. "You'll have to give me a day after to recover from it all, I probably won't be able to walk once you're finished with me." She whispered back, her breath tickling his bare neck.

"Hn. What makes you think I'll be that merciful?" he asked with a smirk. "I might just keep you hostage in my bed for days on end."

"As long as it's comfy." She replied, moving her hand up and tracing her finger along his jaw line.

"Ch. My bed is a land of silky sheets and fluffy pillows. Of course it's comfy. I wouldn't take you in anything less." He said, outlining her scar with his thumb.

A shiver shot up her spine as he touched her second most sensitive spot. "Sounds like a dream," she said, smiling at him happily. "But for the time being, how about we go get some rope and practice getting out of _tight_ jams." She giggled sweetly and then moved away from him. "I'll race you?" she offered.

"Whatever, we all know it isn't much of a race. Unless you're just so eager to be dominated by me." He said, smirk still in place. Then he disappeared, heading off to get the rope.

Her jaw dropped but she couldn't fight the smile playing on her lips. And then she disappeared along with him.

* * *

Minako found her father sitting at the ramen stand, staring into his bowl and twirling his chopsticks idly.

"You know, a wise man once told me that it's a sin to let your ramen get cold." She said.

Naruto's head whipped in her direction at the sound of his daughter's voice. He stood up from his stool then, and they just stared at each other. After a few seconds Minako ran into her father's arms, tears coming to her eyes. "Daddy!" she said, sounding much like her seven year old self.

He hugged her fiercely. "Minako, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just-"

She pulled back and held up a hand to stop him. "Don't. Mama already explained. I understand, but, if you ever keep something like that from me again I swear-" she threatened.

"I won't. Promise." He said, smiling down at her. They may fight often, but they never lasted for long.

"So you wanna join me for lunch?" he asked, hope in his eyes at getting to spend some time with her.

She laughed. "Maybe some other time dad. I have to make dinner for Shiro-kun." She said, already knowing what she was going to 'cook'.

"Look at my daughter, being all domestic." He teased.

"Shut up." She said, smiling back as she punched him lightly in the arm. Then she left him to get the supplies she would need to prepare the night's feast.

* * *

Toshiro pushed open the front door and tiredly made his way to the living room through the archway. He tossed two bags onto one of the chairs and looked into the kitchen, actually surprised she wasn't there. He glanced around and then looked up to the second floor. "Minako?"

She came down the kitchen stairs quickly. "Hello Toshiro-sama. Your dinner is in the microwave. I'm going out for a walk." She said, walking past him and out the front door. The truth was, she didn't want to be there when he saw his dinner, and she didn't want to have to sit through another one with him either.

He watched her leave warily and just sighed. "Whatever." He walked over to the microwave and opened it to see the most unappetizing, unhealthy cup of instant ramen. He tried very hard to contain his anger and stop himself from chasing her down and hitting her with a wooden spoon. Was this her idea of a joke?! He let out an angry yell and slammed the microwave door shut.

Now he was pissed that he had actually done something nice for her today. He went to the fridge and pulled out some ingredients, deciding he was just hungry enough for a crisp salad. Once he was finished he cleaned up the kitchen and sat down, taking his sweet time.

After he was done with his meal he washed his plate and made sure everything was spotless. He hated having a dirty house and no way was having a woman living with him going to change that. He flipped off the kitchen lights and went back to the living room, searching through one of his bags and pulling out a black velvet box. He opened it and looked at the large heart shaped diamond ring he had gotten her. He pulled out a single rose and placed the two on the island in the middle of the kitchen so she would be sure to see it.

He wasn't a total asshole after all. When that was all done he grabbed both his bags full of papers and scrolls and went down the left hallway to his home office. It would be a long while until he was done.

* * *

Minako didn't come home until after dark, having gone to train alone for a while. When she entered the house the lights were still on, so she assumed he was working. She went into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, with six ice cubes, when she saw the rose. Curious, she walked over to the island and picked it up. That was when she saw the ring. Her heart contracted at the sight. It was absolutely gorgeous.

She picked it up carefully and put it on her wedding finger, holding out her hand to properly admire it. Then the guilt came over her. Here he had done something terribly sweet, and what had she done in return? She had made him something that she knew he wouldn't eat, even if his life depended on it.

It was then she decided to go into the study and thank him, after apologizing of course. She put the rose in a vase and set it in the middle of the kitchen table, so that the light would hit it in the daytime. Then she made her way to his study. She stopped in the doorway, surprised at the sight before her.

There was Toshiro, completely passed out on his desk, his paperwork still out. She didn't know if she should wake him or not, but then decided to. He would be sore from sleeping in such an odd position all night, and that would only make him crankier than usual. And she had to deal with enough already.

She walked into the study and stopped next to him. "Toshiro-sama." She said softly, gently shaking his shoulder.

His reflexes kicked in instantly as his eyes flashed open. He pushed away from her, his sand creating a barrier between the two, stretching out to grab her. It stopped instantly in its approach and he stood with a guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry." He said quickly, giving her a once over to make sure he hadn't accidently hurt her. "I get…antsy when I'm asleep."

"It's fine. I just didn't want you to spend the whole night in here and have a crick in your neck tomorrow." She said, smiling slightly. Then she remembered her reason for coming in there in the first place. She looked down at the ring, and then back up at him, her cheeks slightly red.

"Thank you, by the way. For the ring. It's lovely."

He glanced down at her finger and then back to her face and nodded, "Yeah, my mom said I should get you one so I stopped by the jewelry shop on my way home. I hope you like it…I stood there for like twenty minutes trying to pick it. I didn't know what you liked so…"

"I love it." She said, and then she hugged him briefly. Pulling away, the blush remained on her face. "I'll see you in the morning. You shouldn't stay up so late working, it isn't healthy." She lightly scolded, walking to the door.

He didn't say anything more. He just turned off the light and headed to bed. He was utterly exhausted, but at least she seemed happy and content. For the moment at least.


	11. Annoying

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Five_

-Annoying-

"So what are you saying?" he asked, glaring at her.

"I'm _saying_ that maybe if you were more polite to me, I would feel inclined to return the gesture." Minako said, placing her hands on her hips.

His glare only grew narrower. "Why should I be polite to you when all you do is try and piss me off?!"

"Please, you're cranky all the time. I would hardly call what I do trying." She mocked, rolling her eyes at him.

"Well maybe if you did things right the first time I wouldn't be so cranky!" he yelled, now deciding to walk away from her.

She just followed him. "Well maybe if you used your manners, I would do things right!" she yelled back, beyond irritated at this point.

"God! Would you just _shut up_?! Do you realize how annoying you are right now?!" he turned around and sent her another angry look.

She gasped. Nobody had ever called her annoying before, especially because it was something she strove never to be. "Fine. I'm leaving." She said as she walked over to the front door. Opening it, she turned back to look at him. "I thought you were a gentleman, but apparently I was mistaken." Then she walked out, shutting the door forcefully behind her. She needed to get away from him and that awful house.

Not wanting to be questioned by anyone, especially the guards, she flash stepped out of the gates, and headed to an oasis that was about three hours away on foot if you were walking. Stopping at the small pond, she knelt next to the water and let the tears fall. If he thought she was annoying, did that mean he thought she was useless as well? She had trained so hard over the years not to be, ever since Natsumi and Satomi were kidnapped.

Confused and alone, she was completely oblivious of her surroundings, not really caring that they were still in the middle of a war. She could take care of herself anyways. It wasn't until she could hear their voices that she noticed the men around her. She stood up, her byakugan already activated. They hadn't noticed her either until they came to the waterside. It was a group of about twenty men from Rain country. "Well, well, well, boys. Looky what we got here." The assumed leader smirked, giving Minako a sultry look. He didn't hide his lust, and her outfit wasn't exactly the most conservative.

"We found ourselves a little play thing." He looked back at his men and they all started laughing.

"Dontcha mean a big play thing boss?" another chimed in, joining the leader in his stare.

She glared at them, shifting into a taijutsu pose. She would rather die than let one of these men lay a finger on her. The leader began to laugh. "Ha! She thinks she can fight us! Don't worry Doll, I like a challenge." He said, smirking.

She didn't respond to her apparent nickname, instead choosing to watch them warily. The leader then made a hand signal, and a man attacked her from her left. She dodged without looking, quickly dealing a series of gentle fists to his vital chakra points. When she was done she kicked him into the water.

"Well, it looks like we caught ourselves a real Hyuuga. She'll fetch a mighty fine price in Lightning once we're done with her." The man said with a nod.

It was then that the entire group moved in to attack her, except for the leader. She was able to disable many of them, and kill some, but not without getting a scratch on her cheek. One of them had actually been smart enough to discover where her blind spot was. He didn't live long after announcing it, but the damage had been done. Also, one of the straps to her vest had been ripped, so the material was hanging loosely now, completely revealing one of her shoulders.

She was panting, partly from the desert heat and partly because she had been fighting for so long. Currently she was against two of the last goons, both of which were proving difficult to kill. While she blocked one's attack the other would move in, and vice versa. Their leader hadn't moved from his position, instead he chose to watch the fight, never taking his eyes off her.

Tired of wasting valuable energy, Minako aimed a well-placed Gentle Rasengan on one of the men, killing him instantly. She had perfected it since the Chuunin Exams, and was now able to kill someone in a single strike if she chose.

The other man increased his attacks on her then, managing to slice her vest and shirt open at her stomach. She was pissed now. These clothes were expensive and she only had a set amount of them. She summoned a shadow clone and began to work with it in order to kill him. Perhaps once that was done the leader would leave her alone. She didn't enjoy killing people, but it was something that had to be done, since it was part of her job. Actually, she supposed she would have to kill him anyways, since he had already seen and heard too much about her family's gift.

Just as she and her clone finally brought down the last man, she was smacked across the face and flung through a thin palm tree. She touched her cheek and looked up, surprised. The leader had been waiting for the perfect moment to take advantage of her blind spot, choosing to strike when she was distracted. Her clone had already disappeared, having spent all the chakra she had placed in it.

"Why don't you be a good little Doll and just stay on the ground. It'll make everything I have planned a lot easier." The leader suggested, smiling at her lustfully as he advanced. "I suppose I'll have to cut off your hands before I play with you though. We wouldn't want you to use that gift of yours while we're having fun now, would we?" he asked, slowly getting closer to her with each step.

She hastily began to try and stand, somewhat disoriented from the force of the blow to her head. "Don't touch me." She threatened, glaring at him as she managed to get into a sitting position.

"Oh, so the little Doll does know how to speak, excellent. That means I'll get to hear you scream." He said with an evil glint in his eyes, not even two feet away from her now.

Suddenly the sun blotted out and a shadow crossed over the two. The next thing either of them saw was the enormous crater that was now in the ground. The Rain nin gasped painfully, being at the very center impact. As the dust cleared Minako saw Toshiro glaring down at him, with his foot on the rogue's throat. "Sorry, but I'm more looking forward to hearing you scream." He said darkly, a sadistic smirk working its way onto his face.

The leader was wide eyed staring up at his new foe. "You…re…" he gasped out. Toshiro only placed more weight on his foot, making it harder for the man, who dared attack Minako, to breathe. "You're…Kaze…kage."

"Yes." The redhead spat as the sand around him swirled into a long solid pole. "Haven't you ever heard the rules? Kage's wives are off limits." And with that the tip of the sand pole sharpened and flew down, impaling the poor man straight through the eye. He was dead in a matter of seconds. Finally, Toshiro moved away from the corpse and scaled up the sides of the hole in the earth. Once he was at the top he looked at Minako and offered his hand down to her. "Are you alright?"

She stared up at him, wide eyed. Then grabbed his hand and hoisted herself up. Once she was standing she hugged him fiercely around the waist, burying her head into his chest. "Thank you." She said into his shirt.

He blinked and stared down at her, it wasn't that big of deal, was it? Slowly he placed his arms around her, trying to give her some comfort. "It's okay."

She sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left the village, I just needed to get away for a while, and this was the only place I could think of to come."

"How many times do you have to leave the village before you realize bad things happen?" he asked, pulling away from her and setting his hands on her shoulders. "Realistically, how many times are we talking? And can I put them on my calendar so I can make you come home those days. Cause' this seems to happen a lot." He tried to smile, showing her that he was kidding. But deep down, he was kind of serious about it.

Her bottom lip trembled as she remembered the other times she had left the village. He was right, bad things _did_ always happen, and it was _always_ her fault. "I just…like nature okay?" she said, trying to defend her actions. "Being surrounded by the beauty of it makes me happy and helps me think. If you can find a place like that inside the walls of Suna, I promise not to leave the village alone again." She said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Just ask Ino, she knows where those kinds of places are." He told her simply. "Now let's get out of here before more bad people come." He said, letting his sand wrap around them and transport them back to Suna, right in front of their house.

They went inside and he made her sit on one of the barstools while he healed her wounds. "How did you know where to find me?" she asked as he healed the bruise on the side of her jaw, curious.

He glanced up at her from his kneeling position and laughed. "You're in a desert, no matter where you go in that thing I'll be able to find you because of the sand." He explained, moving from the healed spot to her next wound. "It's like a big sonar for Natsumi, me, and my dad. Hence why Suna is so untouchable right now, Natsumi doesn't let anyone through. We just kind of switch off monitoring."

"Oh." She said, surprised at the sound of his laughter. It had been so long since she'd heard it after all. "That's really cool." She said, lifting up her vest and shirt slightly so he could better get the cut on her stomach.

"Yeah," he nodded. Taking care of all her wounds then and returning to his standing position. He stared at the one on her face and touched his finger lightly against her skin and began to heal it. Once it was finished he backed off and examined her. "There. You're all healed."

"Thank you. I'm going to get a shower and change. Then I'll get dinner started. Is there anything in particular you want? Or does spaghetti and garlic bread sound good to you?" she asked, staring up at him.

"Yeah, as long as there's an even amount of noodles and you add a hint of mint to the sauce." He said casually, walking off then. He was going to shower as well and get some work done before he ate.

She glared after him. They had just talked about manners that morning, and he was _still_ being a jerk! The only thing keeping her from doing something rash was the fact that he had just saved her from being tortured and raped.

She went upstairs and showered quickly. After toweling her long locks somewhat dry, she went down to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She set up the table, and made sure that everything met Toshiro's requirements, including adding only five ice cubes to his water. When it was all ready she walked over to the study and knocked on the doorframe lightly.

"Dinner is ready." She told him.

He set his pen down and got up. He was starving but now was the real test, to see if she actually made dinner the right way. As they made their way back into the kitchen a small smile graced his features. At least it smelled good.

They went into the dining room and the redhead was pleasantly surprised. By the looks of it everything seemed perfect. They sat down and as he started to eat, he was satisfied once more. "Excellent." He complimented, taking a sip of his water and continuing to eat her delicious meal. And even up till the end as he counted the final strand he was happily at sixty-four.

She smiled and thanked him, glad that he liked it. And for the first time, both went to bed without feelings of animosity towards the other.


	12. Rant

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Six_

-Rant-

Minako stormed out of the house and made her way to the hospital. She needed to talk to Satomi, since Natsumi was absolutely no help. How _dare_ he?! She got up early every day, so that by the time he was ready to leave breakfast was done. And he says it's not up to his standards?!

She growled to herself as she remembered what had happened. Not enough sausage, please. She had put a ton of sausage in his omelet. It wasn't her fault he didn't tell her that he liked mostly sausage and no egg.

And on top of that, he didn't like his water. He had taken longer than expected to emerge from his room that morning, causing one of his ice cubes to melt and the others shrink. So with a loud sigh he got himself another glass.

When he had left for work, he said something about her needing to work on how she made breakfast, since her dinner preparing skills had obviously improved. They still weren't good enough, but they had improved. Jerk.

Hope filled her eyes as the hospital came into view. Satomi would be able to offer her some real help, she just knew it. Her other pink haired friend may not like people very much, but she was very good about giving advice.

Walking through the doors she went right past the front desk. She could sense her friend's chakra, and knew right where to find her. She stopped before the doors to the children's ward, unsure as to whether or not she would be allowed to enter. _Oh well_, she thought with a shrug. She had made it this far into the hospital, so what could it hurt? She pushed the door open and walked in, seeing her friend checking up on one of the kids. "Hey Satomi-chan. I'm not interrupting anything am I? Because I could come back later." She said, not wanting to get in her friend's way.

Bored jade focused on her new sister-in-law. She turned back to the girl she was helping and gave her a smile. "You'll be alright Nikita. Just make sure you drink lots of water and get some rest before your mom and dad come to get you tomorrow." She placed her hand on the brown haired girl's head and then gave her a small lead. She watched until the small child disappeared into her room and then stood, grabbing her clipboard off the floor. Satomi turned back to Minako, wearing a white lab coat over her normal attire. Her initials were embedded on the left breast. She walked over to her friend and stopped, giving her schedule a run through and then focused on Minako. "What's wrong now?"

"I don't understand what your brother's problem is. Just about everything I make he doesn't like, because it isn't made to his standards. He's mean to me, he ignores me, and criticizes everything I do. And then, every once in a while, he's nice. But then he goes and opens his fat mouth and ruins it. How do you deal with him?" she asked dejectedly.

Satomi let out a long sigh. "Minako, I'm sorry. But you have to realize you got a big place to fill for him. Toshiro absolutely adores our mother and he only likes things the way she makes them. So you're pretty much in a losing battle…you gotta compete with my mom." She explained, beginning to walk down the hall and gestured for Minako to join her. "Toshiro is complicated. He likes things done a specific way and refuses any other. You just have to learn to deal with it. And once you start to do things the 'right' way. He gets nicer."

"But I don't know how to do everything the 'right' way." She whined, following her friend. "My mother is the one that taught me to cook, and I'm sure it's completely different than the way yours does."

The pink haired medic sighed and handed her clipboard to her. "Hold this, I have something that can help." She disappeared down the hall then. After a few minutes went by she reappeared with a spiral in hand. "Here, you can keep this. I already know how to do all of it. Plus I have a copy." Minako opened the cover and looked in, seeing recipes and specifications that were outrageous but helpful hints in doing them.

"What is this?"

"That, is a special book I wrote because Toshiro is such a freak. Every recipe my mother has is in there and the 'proper' way to prepare it." She explained, taking the clipboard back and crossing her arms.

She clutched the book to her chest and looked up at her friend in awe. "Thank you so much Satomi-chan!" she exclaimed, giving the medic a quick hug. "I will memorize it immediately!"

Then, just as she was about to leave an idea struck her. "Do you think I could come and visit some of the sick children every once in a while? You know, read to them and stuff? Since I don't have anything better to do." She asked, unsure of the answer. She did love kids after all, and it made her heart hurt to see some of them all alone in their hospital beds.

Satomi pressed her lips together tightly, trying not to frown. She really didn't like people coming into her hospital and doing such things as getting in the way. After all she and her mother read to the children every day. "I suppose…" she trailed off, knowing the girl was having a hard time trying to adjust to her new life.

"I will let you know ahead of time when I decide to come in, that way you won't be surprised or anything." Minako assured, sensing her friend's reluctance.

"Alright. That should be fine. Now go," she gave her a shooing motion. "I have a lot of patients to see today." She told her friend, walking off to go to her next room. "And good luck." She called over her shoulder, disappearing behind closed doors.

Minako smiled and looked down at the book as she left the hospital. She sure had her work cut out for her. Finding the recipe for Sakura's famous ice cream, she grew excited. Perhaps she could make Toshiro some to replace the container she dropped. Her brow furrowed as she read it. It wasn't too complicated, but she didn't want to mess anything up either. So with a nod, she headed towards her soon to be in-law's house, hoping that the elder medic would be able to spare enough time to teach her.

* * *

"Mom, I just don't understand how this is going to work. She can't even cook right." Toshiro said, laying back in a soft chair in the living room.

Natsumi laughed. She and Akito were situated comfortably on the love seat facing her brother. Akito sat back, watching the lovely pink haired girl beside him. She was sitting with her back against the arm of the sofa and her feet propped up over his, on the opposite arm. "That's cause' you're psycho Toshiro. 'No this won't do. I must have three cucumber slices equally spaced on my salad. Take it back and do it again.' Weirdo." She snickered, getting a harsh glare from her older brother.

Akito smirked. "Wow Toshiro, I never knew you were such a freak."

"Be nice." The elder medic warned, sitting in her special chair. Then she picked up a magazine and looked over at her son. "Well dear, maybe if you weren't so particular and learned to try new things this would go a lot more smoothly." Sakura said, opening it to the food section.

"It's a lot more than that, she defies me out of spite I just know it. And I'm pretty sure that the other night she got some pretzels and crushed them in her hand and scattered them in my bed! And she's so quiet! It's weird. I'm already quiet and reserved so it's just uncomfortably silent." He explained to them, sitting up and leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It's just so aggravating." He groaned, running his hands down his face.

"And how do you know _you_ didn't get crumbs in your bed. Cause' I seriously doubt she's been sleeping with you." Natsumi said, poking a jab at her brother.

He glared sharply at his sister, she really got under his skin sometimes "_Because_, little miss princess, I don't eat in my bed. Ever. And no we don't sleep together because we are appropriate unlike you two."

"Hey!" Natsumi adjusted herself and leaned forward. "We don't _do_ anything. I just like to make him suffer." She smiled viciously, leaning against the Uchiha and smiling up at him. "Right Akito?"

"Hn. I believe you suffer more than I do." He said smirking down at her.

Sakura looked up at them and raised a delicate eyebrow. "Is there something I need to know about?" she asked, suspicious. She knew the ways of her daughter.

Natsumi shifted her gaze even more upwards, since her mother was now hovering over them. "No Mom. We're not doing anything. Toshiro _thinks_ we do bad things because there were some 'suggestive' actions between us when we were fighting against Sound. That's all."

She shrugged, not caring that much. "Keep it that way." Then she turned and faced her son. "Why don't you try talking to her? You know, get to know her better. Perhaps that is why she is quiet." She suggested. She looked back at the page she had been reading, suddenly deciding that she wanted some ice cream.

Toshiro rolled his eyes. That sounded like a lot of work. "I don't understand why women are so complicated."

"Excuse me?" Natsumi sat up straight and glared at her brother. "You're the one who's complicated." She pointed angrily. "Girls are simple." She said with a smile. "I don't have freakish ways or odd reactions to things."

Akito shook his head, giving his friend the sign his sister was a big fat liar. He took his hand and pointed at his head, twirling it around silently saying Natsumi was really crazy. Toshiro tried not to laugh, but the smirk couldn't be helped. Natsumi twitched and then looked back at Akito, who quickly ran his hand through his hair, pretending to be interested in some flowers by the staircase.

Sakura made her way to the kitchen, not wanting to get involved in her children's squabble. "Toshiro dear, how is your ice cream supply?" she called. "Your father and I are almost out so I'm going to make some more."

"Minako dropped it on the floor so I have none." He said, getting up and leaving Akito with his now angry sister. She had her arms crossed and was glaring the young Uchiha down, silently demanding to know what he had done.

The redhead went into the kitchen and hovered over his mother. "Can I have some more, I keep forgetting to ask you when I see you, and sometimes you're at work."

"Sure thing honey. Why did she drop it on the floor?" Sakura asked, beginning to get out all the ingredients needed.

"She crept down in the middle of the night and started eating it without asking. And then when I tried to take it back she tried to keep it, and it fell on the floor." He explained, opening the fridge and taking out a carbonated beverage.

She laughed at her son. He was so childish sometimes. "Did you ever think to share? It's not hard to make, and I don't mind making it for you whenever you need it." She said, opening the cabinet and pulling out a bowl and a mixer.

"But it's _my_ ice cream!" he yelled childishly. "And you're my mom, I shouldn't have to share it."

She sighed. "Well being in a relationship, however arranged, is not going to be a walk in the park. It requires both people to participate and grow, as a couple. You might just have to be the bigger person sometimes. Otherwise it isn't going to get any better." She told him, measuring out some of the ingredients.

"So how is everything else going?" she asked, eyes focused on her task.

"Fine I guess." He sighed, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "I mean, she left the village a couple days ago, like an idiot. You know to that oasis. And when I got there some man was trying to have his way with her. She was pretty beat up, but it was a fairly large group. I saved her and then we went home."

"Huh. Why did she leave the village?" she asked, grabbing the container she would use to put the finished product in.

"I dunno," he said exasperatedly. He popped open the drink and took a large sip. "Probably because I called her annoying or something stupid like that. It was really unimportant."

The container she was holding suddenly snapped in two. "You called her _what_?" she asked, voice dangerously low.

The loud noise surprised him and he looked over at his mother with curiosity. "Um…annoying, I think."

She whirled on him then, face contorted into one of rage. "Do not ever call a girl annoying. _Ever_." She ordered, walking towards her son. She stopped then and looked down at the broken container she was holding. "I need to clean something." She said, tossing it onto the table and stomping out of the room.

Toshiro was in pure shock. His mother looked like she was going to murder him. "What's the big deal?" he asked no one, since his mother was now gone. He growled and got up, disappearing in a whirl of sand. He didn't want to be there when she got back.

* * *

Natsumi had Akito pinned to the couch, keeping his hands down with hers. But she knew he was humoring her for the time being. "What did you do?!" she growled, leaning closer to his face. She was straddling his waist now, not willing to let him up without a fight.

"I told you, I didn't do anything. Now get off me squirt, before you have to suffer the consequences." He threatened. Secretly he was really enjoying this, but he didn't want to get in trouble with her parents. Especially her father.

"Oooooh," she rolled her eyes and leaned closer, their noses were just barely touching. "I'm _so_ scared." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He flipped her suddenly, so that he was on top. "You should be." He said, lowering his voice in mock menace.

"Well I'm not." She smiled deviously, "So maybe you should make me."

"Really? Because you have no idea the things I could do to you." He smirked down at her.

"Exactly." She laughed, moving her hands up and running them through his dark locks. "So show me. Or I'll just challenge your authority again."

He pressed her into the couch with his body. "Fine." He said. Then he brought his head down to her neck and bit her, using enough force to cause the skin to turn red.

She let out a giggle, using her hands to press him closer to her. Suddenly there was a loud grunt and the two separated instantly, a dark red blush on both their faces. Gaara continued past them, giving the Uchiha a threatening glance. "I thought I laid the rules down for you two. No sex in _my_ house." In their playful actions they had missed the knock on the door and the redhead was forced to come down and answer it. He pulled it open and looked down at Naruto's distressed daughter. He repressed a groan and allowed her in.

"Hello Gaara-sama. I am sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if Sakura-sama was here." She said.

"I dunno." He said simply, passing by the girl. He stopped in the doorway and looked back at his daughter and Akito. "I'm watching you boy." He pointed and then left, shutting the door behind him.

Minako looked into the living room at her friends and gave them a confused look. Akito just shrugged, not really wanting to go into details.

Sakura entered then, holding numerous cleaning products in her arms. Seeing Minako she sat them on the kitchen table. "Hello Minako! Can I help you with anything?" she asked, her bad mood suddenly gone.

"W-well, I was just wondering…if you wouldn't mind…would you teach me how to make ice cream?" She asked, poking her fingers together in a Hinata-like fashion.

Sakura brightened at this. "Of course! I was just about to make some! The batch you make you can take home to Toshiro." She said. As Minako walked into the kitchen, Sakura looked down the hall and into the living room.

"We need to talk later Natsumi." She told her daughter, knowing what they had been doing a few seconds ago. Then she disappeared in order to teach her new daughter-in-law how to win over her son's heart.

* * *

Toshiro sighed, sitting on top of the Kage Tower. He was soon joined by a familiar and powerful presence. Gaara glanced down at his son and took the spot beside him. "I don't like Akito." The older redhead said darkly.

His son laughed and looked over at his dad. "Oh come on dad, Akito is cool and you know very well that Natsumi is the instigator."

"That doesn't matter." He crossed his arms and gazed over their village.

They both sighed together, "Dad…" Toshiro started, pressing his fingers together nervously. Gaara watched him warily. "Is it bad to call a girl annoying?"

This made the old Kazekage go wide eyed and he hit Toshiro over the head. "What are you, stupid boy? Did you call Minako annoying?" Toshiro rubbed his head and nodded, now ashamed, since even his father thought it bad of him.

"Toshiro…the _only_ reason your mother is no longer in Konoha and married to that Uchiha is because he called her annoying. Calling a woman annoying is like telling them they are useless and you have no need of them." Gaara explained.

"Oh," the younger man said, looking down at the village as well. Now it made sense as to why she was so upset. He knew the story of his parents and what had happened. He didn't want Minako to think he thought she was useless. She was very useful. She just…couldn't cook right. He sighed for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Think before you speak my son," and then Gaara stood, he had wanted some peace from all the commotion and despite his pleasure of helping his son, he still wanted it. In an instant he was gone, leaving Toshiro alone with his thoughts and new promise to make sure he never called Minako such a thing ever again.

* * *

Minako hummed as she made dinner. Tonight she had decided to make grilled salmon with mashed potatoes and squash, since it was the first recipe she had memorized from the book. The ice cream she had made would be perfect for dessert. She was so happy with herself. Sakura had taught her how to make it, and just as the recipe said, it was quite easy.

She had enjoyed being taught though, since the vibrant woman was a nice change to be around than her stoic son. He was even quieter than Akito sometimes. She wiped her hands off on her apron when everything was done. She set the table and piled the plates with food. Seeing that her work was good, she took off the apron and put it away. Just then Toshiro walked through the door.

The redhead stopped in the foyer, looking to his right at the set table. He eyed it suspiciously and went into the dining room. The table looked professional and everything on it looked perfect. He stopped by his chair and noticed there was no glass. Minako walked in then, two glasses in hand. One filled with water, five ice cubes. "Welcome home Toshiro-sama!" she smiled and offered him the glass.

He blinked and took it, giving her a small nod of appreciation. "Thanks," they both sat down then and he slowly began to eat. It was absolutely perfect! He watched her suspiciously, wondering how she could have known just how to make this dish. "This is…very good."

"Thank you." She said, smiling at him as she cut into her salmon. "I also brought some ice cream home from your parent's house, since we ran out." She told him, taking a bite.

His mood lightened instantly, so his mother had made him ice cream still. He smiled happily and ate quickly, wanting nothing more than the cool bliss of their dessert. She ate her dinner leisurely, trying really hard not to giggle in glee at his obvious lift in spirits.

When they were both done she took his plate for him and began to wash them. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as he opened the freezer and took out the container of the frozen dessert.

He pulled out a spoon and placed the container on the island, taking the top off and digging in. It was amazing just as always. "I'm so glad my mother gave this to you, I've been craving it for days." He stuck the spoon in again and ate happily.

"So you like it?" she asked tentatively, wiping her hands off on a towel.

He looked over at her skeptically, as if that were the most stupid question he had ever heard. "Of course. It's delicious, just like it always is."

"Really?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"Yes. Alright?" He said once more, his gaze squinting into a glare.

"W-well…I made it." She told him, fidgeting nervously.

He stopped eating instantly and looked down at the ice cream. Then back at her, returning once more to his treat. "No. You're lying."

Her brow furrowed in annoyance. "What do you mean, I'm lying?! Is it so hard to believe that I might actually have done something right?! Gah!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "And to think, I went out of my way and asked your mother to teach me so that I could do something nice for you, you…you...unappreciative jerk!" she yelled, moving to leave the kitchen.

He watched her carefully and before she could leave the room sand shot up and blocked the only exits. Slowly it snaked around her and pulled her back into the kitchen, making her stand before him. "No." he said simply, leaning closer to her. He could only see her angry gaze now. "It's delicious. Thank you for making it for me."

"You're welcome." She said, cheeks turning pink from their proximity. Her pride still stung, but at least he had seen the truth.

He pulled away from her then and closed the ice cream, placing it back in the freezer. "Well goodnight Minako. I'm tired, I'll see you in the morning." He said with a wave before disappearing down the hall to his room.

She watched him leave, somewhat dumbfounded. "Goodnight." She murmured, deciding that she was ready for bed as well.


	13. Shower

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Seven_

-Shower-

Minako came home that afternoon, sweaty and tired. Wanting to get rid of some excess energy, she had gone to the park and played a series of handball matches with the local children. It had been a lot of fun, and she'd enjoyed feeling like a kid again.

But she had gotten extremely sweaty from the day's activities, and had opted out of another game for a shower. Seeing that the house was empty, she noted that Toshiro wouldn't be home for about another two hours. That meant she could use his shower, and then go make dinner. She smiled at the thought.

It wasn't that she didn't like the guest shower, but the bathroom was extremely small and she felt somewhat claustrophobic whenever she had to use it. She had instantly loved the master shower when she saw it, but of course had never used it. She decided to forego going upstairs to get her clothes, since she still had some in the master closet.

She walked through the bedroom and into the bathroom, unsurprised at finding it insanely clean. She turned on the shower and brushed her hair out as she waited for the water to become warm. Then she undressed and got in, sighing at the exquisite feeling of the warm water. Glad that she would be able to wash without worrying about hitting her elbows on the wall, she grabbed the shampoo and squirted some into her hand. Yes, this would be one of the best showers she had taken since arriving.

* * *

Toshiro pushed open his front door and let out a long groan. He was having a terrible day and had decided to cut it short. It paid off to have your father, who was the previous Kazekage, right down the street and willing to cover for you when you needed a break. He went through the foyer and decided he wanted a shower. It had been pretty hot today and he did not like being dirty. The redhead looked round, wondering if Minako was home. But when he called out her name and no one responded, he assumed she was elsewhere.

Once he was in his room he shut the door and began to strip down, tossing his clothes to the floor carelessly. He walked towards his bathroom, naked, and opened the door, entering without really assessing what was going on. He shut the door loudly and then froze. There through the fogger glass of his shower he could make out the clearly defined figure of a woman. A very curvaceous woman.

Hearing the door slam, and seeing a blurry figure through the glass of the shower, Minako opened the glass door and stuck her head out, eyes widening when she saw that she was no longer alone. "What are you doing in here?!" she yelled, seeing that it was Toshiro. When he continued to stare at her she grabbed the shampoo bottle and threw it at his head, connecting successfully. He fell back from the blow, so flabbergasted and off-guard that he couldn't even evade a small projectile, the force from the blow making him hit the bathroom floor with a thud.

That was when she realized he was naked, as she was now faced with the sight of his exposed genitalia. She shut the shower door with a gasp, her face instantly turning crimson. Suddenly she couldn't breathe, and began hyperventilating. He was _naked_. She had just seen her first live naked man, and he was beautiful. It was too much for her. The heat in her face, the heat from the shower, the lack of oxygen, it was all just too much. Suddenly, her world went black as she fainted, hitting the shower floor with a thud.

Recovering quickly from his stupor, he noticed her drop and rushed over to the shower to see what was wrong. He pulled the glass door open and saw her collapsed on the ground, water running down her body. His blush was as red as his hair and he grabbed her, pulling her out from the shower. "Minako! Wake up! Did you hit your head?" he asked, giving her face a small slap. It wasn't too hard, but he wanted to make sure she was alright.

She opened her eyes slowly and smiled slightly when she saw his face over hers. Then a look of horror overcame her as she realized that she was naked and in his arms. She scrambled away from him and grabbed the only available towel. "Don't look at me!" she yelled, covering herself as she hastily got to her feet.

Before she could cover herself fully he grabbed the towel away from her and shielded his own exposed areas. "Relax! I was just trying to help since you up and passed out!" he glared, starting to wrap the cloth around his waist.

She yanked it away from him, trying to cover her front. "Well I wouldn't have passed out if you didn't just walk in here! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!" she asked, glaring back at him.

"Why would I have to knock?! It's _my_ house and _my _bathroom!" he yelled, grabbing the other end of the towel and jerking it towards him. He gave one final tug, making Minako fall forward and tackle him to the ground. They both laid there in total shock. Her body was _so _soft. Slowly he placed his hands on her hips, definitely enjoying every moment of this. He _was_ a man after all.

Her face was completely red as she looked into his. She could feel everything about his body. The hard muscles in his chest, the planes of his stomach, _everything_. She froze, her hands on his chest in her attempt to break her fall, unsure of what to do…or what to say.

Suddenly, Toshiro moved his hand from her hip to the back of her neck and pulled her face towards his. His mind was a blank right now, all he could see, all he could feel, was her. Their lips met and he kissed her deeply, without holding anything back.

She kissed him back without hesitation, enjoying the sensations he was causing her to feel. She had dreamt of this moment. Her first kiss. And it was with the very person she had wanted it to be with too. She brought her hands up from his chest and threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his face close to hers.

His fingers ran through her long wet hair, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pressing her body against his with as much contact as possible. She whimpered into the kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue. Their contact became even more heated, and in her lust Minako began to rub her body against his. That was when she felt something long and hot between her legs, poking her inner thigh. Realizing what it was, she pulled at his hair until she could look at his face. Panting, she blushed slightly. "Too fast." Then she got off of him and ran out of the bathroom, grabbing the towel off the floor to cover herself with.

Toshiro remained there on the floor, totally dumbfounded. Minako was _definitely_ not a little girl anymore. Or even that flat-chested teenager from their adolescent years. He moved his hand over his face and then ran his fingers through his hair, letting his mind clear. He had just kissed Minako _and _ravished her naked body. A confident smirk came to his features. He couldn't wait to rub this in Akito's face. He always did love beating his best friend to the punch. And as far as he knew, Akito and Natsumi hadn't done anything of this sort. Because if they had, Natsumi wouldn't be able to keep her big mouth shut.

He laughed then and got up. He needed a shower and the water was still running.

* * *

Minako sat in the middle of her bed, still wrapped in the towel. She couldn't believe she had just done that. She knew that if she had stayed her and Toshiro would probably have gone further, without a doubt. They were both passionate people, and in such a situation it was a given that they would both take it to the next level.

Breathing deeply, she got a hold on her emotions and got dressed. As she dried her hair she began to think, replaying everything in her mind. Why had she kissed him back? She believed that people only kissed when they had strong feelings for each other. So, did she still have feelings for the redhead?

Done drying her hair, she began to brush it. She knew she cared for him, she always had. But did she still care for him on a romantic level? Deciding this would need further contemplation, she went downstairs to prepare dinner.

As she was making her way down the stairs the front door opened and Natsumi poked her head in. "HELLO!" she yelled, announcing her arrival. She came into the foyer and saw Minako descending the steps. "Hey Minako!" she smiled and waved as Akito came in behind her, shutting the door carefully.

Her face lit up at the sight of her friends. "Hey guys! What are you doing here?" she asked once she reached the bottom.

"Well I'm hungry and bored and I like to annoy my brother. So we decided to come here." She said happily, skipping through the archway and disappearing into the living room as she called for the redhead.

Akito just looked over at her. "I have nothing better to do in this desolate village." He said in a monotone.

She smiled and walked into the living room. "Well come on in. I was about to make dinner. I think we'll just have leftovers, since you two are here." She said. She didn't really feel like cooking something extravagant like she usually did. And heating up the leftovers would be simple.

"Whoa!" Natsumi popped out from the hallway to her brother's room. "That's a no go Minako. Toshiro doesn't do leftovers." She laughed and then disappeared again down the hall.

She sighed. "Of course he doesn't do leftovers. Why do I always have to cater to his stupid needs?" she asked herself.

"I'll take the leftovers back to the hotel if you want. I love your cooking in any form or fashion." Akito told her, not wanting her to lose her temper. It seemed to him that Toshiro really _did_ treat her like a servant. And he didn't like it.

She looked at him gratefully. "Thank you Akito-kun. That way they won't fill up the fridge. I'm sure that will bother him as well." She said, walking into the kitchen. She would just make lasagna. Everybody liked lasagna, and with so many people, there wouldn't be a lot left over. And, she had also memorized that recipe.

Akito stood at the edge of the kitchen and watched her get to work. "So…how do you like it here?" he asked, curious.

"It's alright I guess." She said with a shrug. "I just need to find something to do during the day other than play ball with the kids at the park and train." She said with a smile. "But at least that way I'll always stay in shape."

"You mean Toshiro hasn't offered any suggestions?" he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at her.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she began to put together the lasagna in a pan. "No. Toshiro-sama and I don't speak to each other that often, and when we do we're usually arguing."

"Hm." Was all he said. If they were arguing then that meant she wasn't happy here, and that Toshiro was treating her badly. He would just have to wait and see how they interacted with each other over dinner.

She put the lasagna in the oven and set the timer on the microwave. Then she began to clean up the mess she had made in her preparations. Once that was finished the timer had gone off, so she took it out and placed it in the center of the table. Natsumi came out from the hallway with her brother right after. They stopped beside one another and looked down at the table.

"After dinner we have to go to the Kazekage Tower. There's some business that needs to be dealt with." Natsumi explained, taking a seat across from Akito. "Oh wow Minako! This looks great!" she exclaimed excitedly, picking up her fork. Toshiro sat down in his normal seat and examined everything. It did look wonderful. His eyes moved up the table and locked with Minako's nervous blue gaze. Natsumi had taken the liberty of distributing the proper amounts to everyone since she was the guest. Once everyone had food she started eating blissfully. "Delicious."

Toshiro took a bite and nodded, agreeing with his sister. "It's very good." But his eyes never left his wife-to-be. Suddenly he found himself seeing her without her clothes on, and a small pink blush dusted his cheeks.

"Thank you." She said, red coming to her face. She didn't know why Toshiro was blushing, but when she looked at him all she could see was his chest and hard abs.

The silence was eating away at the pink haired girl, and just before she could say something to break it Toshiro mumbled something that made the whole table go wide eyed. "So…so naked."

Minako looked over at him in embarrassment. "Can we not talk about that now?" she said, her face crimson.

"I'm just saying…" he trailed off, his blush darkening.

"Whoa…" Natsumi slammed her hands on the table and looked back and forth between the two. "What?!"

"Well you can say it later, when we don't have company." She told him. Then she looked over at her friends. "It's nothing that you should be concerned about Natsumi-chan." She said, returning to her meal. Would this blush ever leave her face?

Akito just looked between his friends, suspicious. "What's going on?" he asked, looking at Toshiro.

"You saw Minako NAKED?!" Natsumi yelled, pointing at her brother, who happened to be drinking his water at that moment. He spit it out, with a loud cough and glared at her.

Minako simply slapped her face with her hand and sat her elbow on the table. She supposed there was no such thing as privacy in this family. Akito's eyes widened and his head whipped in her direction. "Is this true?" he asked her, before turning back to the redhead.

"She was in my shower!" Toshiro tried to explain. "And when I called for her when I got home there was no answer. She doesn't use the bathroom, so why would I ever think she was in there? Then she passed out and I had to get her out of the shower."

Natsumi was simply wide eyed. She didn't expect her brother and Minako to be so bold with one another. After all she and Akito were all talk.

"Well my shower is too tiny! I feel claustrophobic in it!" Minako exclaimed, placing her hand back on the table. "You weren't supposed to come home for another two hours, so I thought I had plenty of time to get in and out before you did." she explained, not caring any more that Akito and Natsumi were there.

"You shouldn't assume things. I was having a bad day!" he told her with a small glare. "And besides…it's not like you didn't enjoy it." He said, now with a confident smirk.

She opened and closed her mouth much like a fish would if it were to be taken out of water. "Well, we both _know_ you enjoyed it!" she finally said with a smirk of her own.

"Of course I did." he retorted. He would not lie, not even if they were in the company of others. "You're an extremely beautiful woman and you were naked. What man wouldn't enjoy that?" he crossed his arms then.

Somehow her face got even darker. "You think I'm beautiful?" Minako asked eventually, surprised.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Did he really say that out loud? Natsumi looked between the two and prayed her brother wouldn't say something stupid. Toshiro let his arms fall to his sides. "Well…yeah."

"You guys didn't have sex did you?" Akito asked suddenly, a slightly horrified look on his face. He really didn't want the disturbing images that were plaguing his mind to be there any longer, so he needed to know.

The sand siblings both went as red as Minako was. Natsumi was just embarrassed by the thought of her brother and Minako actually doing that kind of thing. But Toshiro was the one to respond. "Of course not. She ran off before we could do anything more than kiss."

Fiery hot jealousy ignited throughout Natsumi. Her brother had kissed Minako before she had gotten to kiss Akito?! How unfair was that?!

"Y-you never expressed an interest in that kind of thing before…and I didn't want my first time to be on a bathroom floor!" Minako told him across the table. Realizing what she had just said, her eyes became the size of saucers. "I mean…"

Akito smacked his head on the table. "It's always the quiet ones…" he muttered into the wood.

Natsumi was just as appalled as Akito. She stood and grabbed her brother's arm, dragging him out of his chair. "Come on Toshiro. We need to get that stuff done and we need to have a talk." She glared, pulling him with her and out the door.

Minako watched them leave and sighed. Then she looked back at Akito. "So…" she began.

"Oh no. This is just too weird. I'm going to take my leftovers and go." He said, rising from his seat.

Understanding his reasoning, Minako got up and took him into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and handed him all of the containers of food from previous meals. "Here. Just bring the containers back when you finish them." She said.

"Okay." He said. Then he walked to the front door. Opening it, he turned back to her. "Be careful Minako. Don't give anything away that you will regret later." He warned before leaving.

She closed the door and leaned against it. She needed some ice cream. That decided, she went back into the kitchen and opened the container, eating straight from it.

* * *

"What the hell Toshiro?" Natsumi glared at her brother as they walked to the Kage Tower together.

"What?" he glared back.

Their contest continued, they seemed more like children than adults. It was a hard silence until they reached the tower, making their way to Toshiro's office. When they arrived Gaara was sitting in the large chair, with Satomi standing in front of the desk.

Toshiro stood next to her, Natsumi on his right. Despite the fact that Toshiro was now the Kazekage, he always held his father on a higher level and still took orders from him as if he were just a jounin. The redhead looked up at his children and sighed. "I need you three to do something for me."

They all stood straight, becoming very serious. "Yes father." They replied together.

"I've been keeping an eye on the sands, and there's some group trying to sneak around." He said, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"And you want us to go and find out who they are?" Toshiro spoke up, getting a nod from his dad.

They all looked skeptical. Satomi sighed and bowed with acceptance. "Why us father? Is it that serious?"

"Yes."

They all stayed, noting his dark aura. He knew they were waiting for a reason, but they knew he never sent them all out unless it was absolutely necessary. "I was teaching Yuki how to monitor the sands and she sensed them. Now she's gone, and someone is moving towards this group from Suna."

All three went wide eyed. How could their younger sister be so stupid?! "We'll leave immediately." And with that they all left the room. Toshiro ran back home, Minako would probably be angry but there was nothing he could do about this. He had to go stop or save his sister before it was too late.

He landed in front and rushed in, heading straight for his room and throwing a few kunai and other weapons into a bag. He pulled on his gloves and then put on his gourd.

Minako, sensing his hasty entrance, ran over to his doorway. "What's wrong?" she asked, having just put the ice cream away and was going to head up to bed.

"Nothing, I might be gone for the next day or two." He said, passing her by and heading for the door.

She followed him, worried. She knew that she wouldn't get any further information from him though, so all she said was, "Be safe."

He stopped with his hand on the handle and looked back at her. He came back and stood in front of her, taking her face in his hands. "I will. Don't leave the village." He said softly, leaning down and kissing her delicately on the lips. Then he left and was out the door without another word.

She touched her fingers to her mouth and watched him leave. She smiled softly to herself. Perhaps things were improving between them after all.


	14. Ignorance

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Eight_

-Ignorance-

"Why is she so stupid!?" Natsumi yelled into the desert as the three sped over the sand.

"Because she's a child." Toshiro told her, his famous glare set in place.

Satomi sighed and shook her head. "She's a child that has enormous shoes to fill. Take it easy on her." She told her siblings, who were so irrational at times.

They both looked back at her, anger in their expressions. "How can you defend her? She's gone and done something stupid such as going after a group of ninja she doesn't know anything about. By herself!" Natsumi said, focusing her gaze forward and trying to zero in on her sister's chakra signature.

"I'm just saying. She's only thirteen years old and she has three older siblings who excel in everything they do. Toshiro is the Kazekage and he's like the star of Suna. Natsumi, you're the 'Desert Rose' and you basically run all the ninja cells and protect the village when it's attacked. And I'm extremely gifted in medical jutsu. She doesn't exactly get praise for anything, seeing as we do everything for the village." She explained, getting downcast looks from her siblings. She was right, Yuki was living in a very big shadow and she was always trying to show them up.

"There she is." Toshiro said, sensing her sand before her actual image came into view. Natsumi sped ahead, unable to keep their slow pace. Despite the idiocy of her sister, she needed to make sure she was alright.

It didn't take long for the youngest of the elder siblings to get to the campsite. She rushed in and drew a kunai, slamming it through one of the men's jaw. He fell to the ground, staining the yellow sand with crimson. She stood straight and looked around threateningly at the shocked faces. They were ninja from the village Hidden in the Rocks. "Get out of my desert." She seethed. "And give me back my sister."

Their stupor was broken and they charged at her. Sure they knew of her, and were a bit uneasy, but it was only just one girl. It wasn't too hard to evade them, and finally Toshiro and Satomi appeared. That was when the panic set in. It had been a long time since the three were sent on a mission together and _all_ the ninja villages knew how impossible it was to infiltrate the Land of Wind because of them. Satomi started ripping apart the tents, searching for her red haired sister, while Toshiro and Natsumi took on the group. Natsumi lifted her hands, making the sand rise around the site, blurring the vision of all their surroundings. But this was the desert, their home, sand was absolutely nothing to them.

There was a loud snap and crack of bones as Toshiro slammed another one of the charging ninjas into the ground and crushed his skull, earning a scream of agony in return.

Finally Satomi looked inside one of the larger tents and found her sister, tied and bound with seals. She ran in and began to rip off the rope, taking the seals off slowly so they wouldn't cause the girl harm. Yuki was up instantly and ripped off the blind fold, ready to attack the person, but paused when she was met by the worried face of her older sister. "What are _you_ doing here?" she hissed, not at all pleased by this appearance. Then Yuki looked past her sister and glared, shifting the hateful look back to Satomi. "And you brought Toshiro and Natsumi too?! I can do this by myself!"

"Clearly." Satomi sighed, grabbing her sister by the hand and dragging her out of the tent. She tried to pull her hand free, but it was about as effective as trying to blow down a brick wall. Once they were outside they saw nothing but destruction and blood. Natsumi stood up from her kneeling position and ripped one of her prized kunai from the neck of a dead shinobi.

Toshiro walked up to her and then saw Satomi with their sister. "Yuki!" he ran up and stooped down, examining her for any wounds, although she didn't seem hurt. "Are you alright?" he asked, but all he got was a push away.

"I'm fine! I didn't need you guys coming after me. I had it handled." She told them, crossing her arms angrily. She didn't understand why they couldn't just let her have one moment to prove she was better than them all.

Natsumi walked up and stared down at her. "Yuki what were you thinking? You could have been killed. Dad's worried sick, you know it's bad when he sends us all out. Did you think you could take all these men on by yourself? You're just a kid."

The angry red headed girl only grew more upset. She hated her siblings so much, they were just too perfect for their own good. They were always given all the best missions, trusted with all the secrets of Suna, and idolized by everyone. "Let's just go." Toshiro sighed, getting up and giving Yuki a look. She understood that look very well. He wanted her to do as she was told and not complain. She finally was able to jerk away from Satomi and started back for Suna, followed by her three older siblings.

* * *

Minako let out another sigh. She was currently sitting in the windowsill overlooking the backyard, fiddling with the hourglass necklace Toshiro had given her so long ago. She would be the first to admit that she was worried.

The day after Toshiro left she had gone to the hospital to talk to Satomi and find out why he had gone so suddenly, but her pink haired friend wasn't there. Instead she found Sakura, who was temporarily taking over the hospital while Satomi was out on a mission. When she asked what kind of mission it was the elder medic had sealed her lips. It was classified, was all she was told.

So she had gone to find Akito and Natsumi. But all she found was Akito training by himself. When she asked him where Natsumi was he said he didn't know. He hadn't seen her since dinner the night before. Not having anything better to do, she decided to join Akito, challenging him to a friendly spar.

Once they finished she left to find her brother, having not seen him since they arrived. When she found him she took him out for ramen, since it was a family favorite. The siblings caught up with each other, and Minako asked him how Yuki was doing.

The young blonde shrugged, telling her that she had disappeared about a day and a half ago, and he didn't know why. They had parted then, since Shuhei was supposed to meet their parents and she wanted to go home and shower.

As she showered she thought about everything she had learned. In the end she came to the conclusion that Yuki must have done something stupid and the other three had been sent to fix it. She went to bed that night hoping that everything turned out okay in the end.

Then yesterday she decided to go back up to the hospital and read to the kids, so that Sakura could take care of the patients without having to worry about the children feeling neglected. That day she went home and made dinner, making sure to prepare enough in case Toshiro came home. When he didn't she went to bed, even more worried than before.

Today she decided to stay home, wanting to be here when he returned. She looked down at the necklace and sighed once more. Having the house to herself for three days really gave her a chance to think. She had concluded that she felt something stronger towards Toshiro, but she was unsure as to what. She would just heed Akito's advice, and wait to see how Toshiro felt. She didn't want to get her hopes up only to be let down again.

Growing bored, she held up the hourglass to the light, watching as it displayed a rainbow on the opposite wall. She hadn't heard the door open or the silent approach of the red headed Kazekage. He stopped when he was in the living room, watching her as she fiddled with something that looked oddly familiar. It was the necklace he had given her when they first met. He felt a small smile come to his face. He didn't know she had kept it all this time. "I'm home." He finally said, making his presence known.

Startled, she stuffed the necklace down her top in an attempt to hide it, not knowing that part of the chain was dangling over the collar of her vest. "Hi." She greeted with a smile, standing from the windowsill and walking towards him.

"Sorry I was gone for so long…" he said, his gaze lowering to the chain. "So…what were you holding just a moment ago?" he arched a brow, trying to keep the smirk off his face.

"Holding? I don't know what you're talking about." she said innocently, clasping her hands behind her back.

He lifted his hand and grabbed the part of the chain that was exposed and slowly pulled it from its hiding place. "Oh really?" he asked, looking at the hour glass and then looking back at her.

Her face turned a light shade of pink. "Oh, that…I didn't even realize it was there." She said, looking from the necklace to him.

"Hmm…" he shrugged and let the necklace fall back into place. "I'm sure you didn't." he said with a laugh. He moved away from her and headed towards his room, taking off his gourd and other supplies. He came back soon after and let his gaze fall on her once more. "So Minako…would you like to go to dinner tonight? That way you don't have to cook. I know you've been making dinner for me every night."

She blushed at his accurate statement. "That would be nice." She said, giving him a small smile.

"Alright then, it's a date." He told her, grabbing her hands lightly. He could get used to this, being with her. It was nice. Before he could do what he wanted, he heard the front door open and looked over only to see a familiar bushy eye browed man. "Ken?" Toshiro asked, almost not believing the man was here.

"It cannot be true!" the boy yelled, throwing himself towards them. "Minako-chan! You are marrying Toshiro?!"

She staggered a bit at the force of his hug. "Well yes Ken, our parents arranged it a long time ago." She explained as he pulled away.

The pained look on his face was one she had seen many times. "What? You have claimed her?" he asked in disbelief, looking over at the redhead.

"I thought I told you that years ago…" he mumbled, looking away from the two and crossing his arms.

"Well saying and doing are two completely different things. Youth dictates such an action must be taken to seal the claiming." He recited, holding a finger in the air.

Toshiro rolled his eyes and grabbed Minako's left hand, holding it up so Ken could see the glistening diamond. "There. Action." He said simply, giving the man a small glare.

He huffed and crossed his arms. "Do you accept this claim Minako-chan? I had heard that you weren't too fond of the arrangement." The green clad man said.

In response she wound her arms around Toshiro's waist and pulled him to her, so that Ken wouldn't be able to hug her again. Or possibly touch her. He was a great teammate, but a weird man. "Yes, okay? I happily accept this claim." She stated, patting the redhead on the chest for emphasis.

Ken sighed and gave them both a thumbs up. "Well, I see how youthful this shall be! I support Toshiro and Minako one hundred percent!" he looked around then and clapped his hands together. "At least I still have the beautiful and exotic Natsumi, whose speed matches the pace of my beating heart!"

"I don't think that's a good idea Ken…Akito-kun is here and you know how he gets." Minako warned, still holding on to Toshiro.

He dropped his hands and looked at her, confusion all over his face. "That reminds me…I would have thought that you and Akito would have gotten married. You know, since you dated and all."

She stiffened a bit, not expecting him to reveal that. "That was a long time ago Ken." She said sternly. She had wanted to tell Toshiro on her own time, if such a time arose.

The redhead looked down at Minako with a raised brow. He would definitely be hearing about this later. What neither of the three realized was that Natsumi had been standing in the front hall. Her chest felt hollow and cold. Akito had dated Minako? She turned back around before any of them could see or feel her and was out the door.

"You know what Ken, we're going out tonight. So if you'd like to leave now we would like to get ready." Toshiro said sternly.

"Oh of course! Of course! I shall leave you be. Congratulations! I'm off to find my lovely Natsumi. We could go on a date tonight!"

"No!" Minako yelled, going a bit wide eyed. She wanted to avoid confrontation at all costs. "She's uh…going on a double date with Shiro-kun and me."

"Then I shall catch up with her and make sure she is prompt and on time!" he smiled brightly and left the two.

She let out a sigh and laid her head on his chest. Then she released him and stepped away. "I should have told you…are you mad?" she asked, looking up at him.

He gave a small shrug and looked away. "Not really…I mean obviously it didn't work out right?" he gave her a small smile, touching her cheek gently. "I'd just make sure Natsumi never found out, you know how she gets." He laughed.

"Yeah…it was only for seven months anyways, and we only dated because everyone else in the village thought we would be perfect for each other, so we thought we'd give it a try." She said, returning his smile.

He really laughed this time. "Really? They thought you would be perfect for each other? Do they even know you guys?" he asked, leaning in and kissing her cheek. "Well apparently we now have a double date, so you should probably inform Akito."

"Okay." She said, smiling like an idiot. They parted then to get ready. Since she had enough time, she flash stepped to the training grounds, interrupting Akito in the middle of a set of taijutsu attacks.

"Hey Akito-kun! I just came to inform you that you and Natsumi-chan are going on a double date with Shiro-kun and I, so come to our house around seven. Bye!" she said with a wave, going back to her house and giving him no room for refusal.

She went up to her room and took a quick shower, wanting to smell nice. She put on a clean set of clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. Should she do something to her hair? Her face? She shook her head. Toshiro had said she was beautiful, so she decided to leave her appearance the way it normally was. The only difference being that she decided to put her necklace on, leaving it out for everyone to see.

* * *

"There you are Natsumi-chan! I have been looking for you!" Ken yelled, running up to the girl and hugging her fiercely. He pulled away with a huge smile. "You have grown even more exquisite over the years I must say. Akito is a lucky man."

"Why?" she glared. Ken was the last person she wanted to deal with right now. Well other than Akito. She couldn't believe how betrayed she felt. "Hey Ken…" Natsumi crossed her arms and took in a deep breath. "Exactly when and how long did Akito and Minako go out?"

He shrugged. "They dated for about seven months I think when she was sixteen. But they broke up close to the time you guys came on your last visit to Konoha." He informed her.

"Seven months?!" she almost screamed, her face going red with anger.

"Well I was going to ask you on a date tonight, but Minako-chan informed me that you and Akito were having a double date with them." Ken sighed sadly.

"Is that so?" her glare grew icier. "Well it was nice seeing you Ken, but apparently I have a _date_ tonight." She walked off then, planning exactly how this night was going to go.

* * *

Minako waited by the front door anxiously. She had never really been on a date before. When she and Akito had been going out, they never went anywhere. In fact, it was like they weren't dating at all, since they continued to act like friends.

She looked over at the clock and noted the time. They should be here soon. Not one to be still for long periods of time when she was excited, she began to pace across the foyer. Toshiro came from the living room and watched her oddly. "Calm down will you? Natsumi is going to meet us there. At least that's what Ken says." Then there was a loud knock on the door. The redhead opened it and saw Akito, holding it wider so Minako could leave. He shut the door and the two joined the Uchiha in the street. "Well let's go." He said, and the group headed into the village, talking about the past few days.

"So Akito-kun, have you seen Natsumi-chan since she's been back?" Minako asked her friend.

He shook his head and sighed. "No. I have no idea where she is."

"That's odd. I would have thought you'd be the first person she would go to see upon returning." She observed, absentmindedly grabbing Toshiro's hand.

"Apparently not." He said, irritation evident in his voice.

They finally made it to the restaurant and were seated immediately. Toshiro and Minako were sitting across from one another and Akito sat between them at a square table. Natsumi was nowhere to be seen. Their waitress came up and smiled happily at them. "Hello Kazekage-sama. Minako-sama." She bowed to the two, knowing the future wife of her leader. Her gaze fell on the angry Uchiha. "Oh my, you must be the famous Uchiha Akito. It's a pleasure to meet you." She blushed.

"Whatever." He said, picking up his menu in disinterest.

Her smile fell and then she noticed the empty seat. She grabbed the spare menu and looked around the table. "Is there another guest joining you tonight?"

He snatched the menu from her hands, giving the waitress a small glare. "Yes, there is. And we aren't going to order anything until she gets here." He informed her.

She blinked and stared at him, very nervous now. Toshiro sighed and looked up at the waitress. "My sister will be joining us."

"Oh! Natsumi-sama." She nodded. She wondered what had Konoha's Uchiha so upset. Last time she checked, the Uchiha and Natsumi hadn't been anything more than friends. "Well alright. I'll be back in a moment." She bowed and left them then.

Toshiro glanced over at his brooding friend and stifled a laugh. "Why so blue Akito?"

"Shut up." He said, turning his angry glare onto his friend. He would be damned if he admitted that he was afraid she was going to stand him up. Uchihas never admitted their insecurities.

"Be nice Akito-kun. I'm sure Natsumi-chan will be here soon." Minako said, looking sideways at her friend.

"Don't worry Akito," Toshiro said simply, picking up his menu and reading through it. "She's here." But he left out the fact that her aura was as black as their father's rimmed eyes. The door to the restaurant opened and the pink haired beauty walked in, searching around for them. Once she spotted them she locked eyes with relieved deep green and didn't look away once as she made her way towards the table. She grabbed the chair and jerked it out, sitting down harshly and grabbing her menu. She opened it and finally lowered her glare to the innocent paper.

"Hi Natsumi-chan! I'm glad you and Akito-kun could join us on such short notice." Minako greeted, giving her friend a bright smile.

"Yeah. My pleasure." She said sharply, closing her menu and setting it down.

The waitress came back then, having seen Natsumi enter. "I'll take your drink orders now if you're ready." She informed them with a smile. Then she turned to Akito. "We'll start with you. What would you like?" she asked, leaning her hip casually against the table.

"Water." He said, his gaze never leaving the woman across from him. There was something off about her, but he didn't know what.

The waitress looked over at Minako then. "Water with six ice cubes please." She requested.

She nodded and wrote down the specifications, already knowing what her Kazekage wanted. "Natsumi-sama?" she asked, pressing her lips tightly together. The pink haired woman was glaring back at Akito, not letting her eyes leave his either.

"Lemonade, please."

She wrote it down quickly and then took their orders seeing they were ready. Once that was done she rushed off to tell the kitchen.

"What's your problem?" Akito asked, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair. He was never one to beat around the bush, and was too impatient to wait for her to reveal what was bothering her.

"What's my problem? What's your problem?!" she yelled, getting the attention of all the diners around them. Toshiro was wide eyed. He really hated public scenes. Minako just looked between her two friends, eyes mirroring her fiancé's.

"My problem is not knowing what your problem is!" he yelled back, sitting up straight.

She leaned forward, gripping the table tightly. "How could you do that to me?! And then act like it's nothing!"

Toshiro picked up his menu and hid his face behind it. Minako just followed his lead, since he had more experience in his sister's behavior than she did.

"Do what to you?!" he asked, placing his own hands on the table now. God she was so infuriating.

She just huffed and kicked him as hard as she could from under the table. "Don't pretend like you don't know! Seven months?!"

A thud was heard as Minako's head hit the table. She knew exactly what Natsumi was talking about. Akito looked from her back to Natsumi, still confused. "What about seven months? Seven months for what?" he asked, brow furrowed.

Minako's reaction gave Toshiro the confirmation he needed. That was just like his sister to walk in and hear the wrong part of a conversation and then up and leave. Something she regrettably got from their father. "Natsumi…you don't understand. It's not what you thin-"

"Shut up Toshiro!" she seethed, standing up and throwing her napkin down. "You're a jerk. I can't believe I saved myself for you. And then you go and do this!"

"Do what?!" he asked, standing as well. "Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?!"

"You went out with Minako!" she shouted, now having said it aloud it hurt even more. Tears were forming in her eyes, "For seven months!" she pushed her chair away and stormed out. She didn't want to cry in front of him, or anyone in her village. They never saw her weakness and they never would.

"That's what this is all about?!" he asked no one in particular. "Gah!" he screamed, storming out of the restaurant as well.

Minako picked her head up off the table and looked at Toshiro. "Next time, remind me not to invite anyone." She said, smiling slightly.

"Will do." He agreed, looking up as the waitress came back with their food.

"Where did Natsumi-sama go? And Uchiha Akito?" she wondered, placing their food down.

Toshiro laughed. "Who cares."

* * *

Akito stomped down the streets in his unsuccessful search for Natsumi. Tired of walking around like an idiot, he went to the hospital to talk to her sister. He walked straight up to the receptionist. "Where is Satomi?" he asked.

The receptionist looked up at him, startled. "Uh…well currently she is in the sick ward. But you can't-" she began, talking to his retreating back. "-go back there." She finished. Oh well. She was used to people from Konoha just doing as they pleased in the hospital anyways.

He walked to the sick ward and began to look around. Once he found Satomi he walked straight up to her. "I need to talk to you." He said, skipping formalities.

"Why?" she said, giving him a not so welcomed stare.

He ignored the look and continued. "Your sister is going crazy about something stupid, and I don't understand why." Was all he said.

She arched her brow and shut the door she was about to go in. What was up with these Konoha shinobi and coming to her with their problems? Didn't they understand that she didn't care? "Natsumi always goes crazy. I thought you already knew that."

"Yeah, but it was over the fact that Minako and I dated for seven months. Three years ago." He continued.

Her face fell and she sighed. Sometimes this boy just didn't get a hint. "Really…you don't know why she's upset about that? I mean, her and Minako were only rivals for more than half their lives over you. Natsumi's insecure about herself." She explained, taking the chart from the door and skimming over it. "She likes attention and when you don't give it to her she freaks out. It's just like she says, she's a princess. And she's completely in love with you. So let me put it in physical terms you can understand." She stopped and clicked her pen, beginning to write on the paper. "Pretend Natsumi took a big jagged piece of glass and stabbed you in the heart…over and over…and over again."

He grimaced at the image. "Sounds painful. But it was nothing. We never went anywhere, never did anything, we didn't even hold hands!" he explained, still not completely seeing why she was upset.

"Okay?" she rolled her eyes, unaware of why he was explaining this to her. "And you're telling this to _me_ why? I'm not the one who cares…in fact, I actually kinda hate you and you really annoy me. So why don't you go find your little ball of sunshine and tell her." She gave him a dismissive hand gestured and grabbed onto the door knob of the hospital room. "And if you can't find her, which I'm assuming is the case since you came here…she's probably either on the outer wall or training." And with that she went in to check on her patient, shutting the door behind her.

He left then, heading straight for the training fields first, since they were closer. Not finding her there, he went to the outer wall and began to walk it. Spotting her in the distance, he used his speed to catch up to her. Once he was in front of her he stopped. "We need to talk." He said, looking into her pale eyes.

Her hateful glare was no different than earlier. "What if I don't want to talk to you?"

"Then you will remain upset and unknowing of what didn't happen between me and Minako." He explained, crossing his arms.

Her lip twitched into a sneer. It irritated her to know he knew how to manipulate her so well. She looked away from him then and stared off into the desert. "Fine. What?" she turned away from him, facing her beautiful sand ocean.

"We never did anything. We didn't go anywhere, we didn't do anything. At all. I didn't even hold her hand. The only reason we dated in the first place was because everyone in the village thought we should. So we decided to try it. But it was just too weird." He finished, hoping that she would be okay enough with that answer.

But of course her reaction was quite the opposite of his expectations. Just like it always was. She glared at him, somehow even angrier than before. "Oh so, because someone _told_ you to you just went and did it." She held her hand out, trying her best to control her sand with her emotions, as chaotic as they were.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Nobody told us to do anything. It was more of a 'what if' type of thing. But, just as with the marriage idea, we both decided that it was best if we split up, since our interests lay elsewhere." He walked up to her then and gave her a meaningful look. "You're the only girl I've ever held hands with." He said, smiling at her softly.

She didn't move and her angry façade didn't fade. She didn't understand his need for a 'what if'. She had never 'what if'd' anyone! "Well…what's different then?" she asked.

He blinked at her. Something told him he needed a really good answer for this one. "What's different is that I never pictured myself kissing Minako. Or anything romantic that leads to that." He said, dropping his arms in defeat.

"And?" She arched a brow. She would make him say it that's for sure. "You see it with?"

He sighed in defeat. Why did she always make him say it? "The only person I've ever seen myself doing any of that stuff with is you Natsumi. Always."

She tried her best to fight the smile forming on her face. But of course, her brilliant glow returned. She stepped closer to him, placing her hands on his chest. "Is that so…?" she looked up at him and slowly smoothed her palms up his neck. She brought his face down to hers and pressed her forehead against his. "I've never imagined anyone but you with me." She whispered to him. She wanted a kiss and she was going to have it. Just before their lips met, a guard came up, making his rounds and gasped.

They pulled apart quickly and looked away from one another. The guard gulped. "I'm so sorry Natsumi-sama. Uchiha-sama…I did not mean to interrupt."

"Hn." Was all he said as he looked across the desert, successfully putting his stoic face back in place.

"Um no. It's alright." She waved, blushing a dark shade of red. She looked back at Akito and offered her hand to him. "You want to go for a walk?" she asked softly. Their moment might have been ruined, but she'd be damned if she didn't get to spend more time with him.

"Of course." He answered, smiling down at her as he linked his fingers with hers.

They left then, making sure to avoid all the areas anyone they might know would be. Their kiss would just have to wait until the perfect moment.


	15. Déjà Vu

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Nine_

-Déjà Vu-

Minako jumped for the ball and caught it mid-air. Then she twisted and threw it to the other team's goal. The ball went in just as she touched back to the ground.

"Score!" she yelled, throwing her arms up in the air.

A little boy with brown hair ran over to her. "Go Mina-sama! You're the best at this game!" he cheered, mimicking her pose.

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Thanks buddy. Now get ready, they're going to serve the ball soon." She told him, squatting somewhat and placing her hands on her knees. Just then a messenger ran over to her. When he reached her he bowed. "Minako-sama." He said as he straightened.

She did so as well. "Can I help you? We were just about to begin the tie breaker." She told the man with an easy smile.

He returned it, glad that she was as nice as everybody said she was. "I'm sorry, but it seems that you won't be able to finish the game. The Council has requested your presence immediately."

Her brow furrowed. She hoped it wasn't anything too serious. "Alright." Then she turned back to the kids. "I'm sorry guys, I gotta go do adult stuff now. But don't worry, I'll come back another day when I get the chance." She said, smiling at the group of kids she had gotten to know so well since her arrival.

After their many protestations and whines over her departure, she followed the messenger to the council room. He opened the door for her, and she walked straight in. She looked around, startled. There were six empty chairs. She knew that one of them was for her, which meant that the others belonged to Gaara, Sakura, Toshiro, Satomi, and Natsumi, who were all absent.

She sat in the chair next to a nice looking blonde woman, who had smiled kindly at her when she entered. "Hello." She greeted, smiling at the group that was present.

An old man across from her nodded. "Greetings Minako-sama. Thank you for joining us on such short notice." He said, tone serious.

"Yes, Minako-sama." The blonde next to her smiled. "We're always so lucky to meet the nicest ladies from Konoha."

She waved it off with a smile. "Thank you, it was no problem. Where is everyone else?" she asked, looking around.

Another man spoke up this time. "What we need to discuss with you is none of their concern. They are so busy lately, what with the war and the wedding plans, we didn't want to disturb them." He told her, lacing his fingers on the table.

"Yes." Another man said, crossing his arms tightly. "Gaara-sama and Sakura-sama have been very busy with the wedding and having to handle young Yuki-sama."

"Toshiro-sama has been too stressed for us to concern him with this trivial matter." An older woman said.

It was then a younger member of the counsel spoke. "And Satomi-sama has a lot to deal with at the hospital. Not to mention how much Natsumi-sama has to deal with, all these attacks and reinforcing the wall guard. It is simply not in their interest to partake in this meeting."

Minako knew that they all had a point, but she had been raised in political society. It was obvious to her that they were trying to pull a fast one on the Sabakus. She sat up and placed her hands delicately on the table. "Well then we will just have to wait until a time when they are all free to discuss this. Especially since Shiro-kun is not present as he should be, since he is the Kazekage." She said, smiling at them. "If it has anything to do with my marriage to him, let me assure you that we have everything under control. Anything and everything I need to know about living in Suna he and his family will teach me. And as far as our private life is concerned, well, there's a reason it's called private."

Then she stood and nodded to them, signaling her dismissal. "Good day." She began to walk towards the door, but stopped when she was on the other side of the blonde woman's chair. She leaned down and said, "You must be Hana-san. I have heard so many great things about you from Sakura-sama. We'll have to meet up some time to talk. I'm sure there are plenty of stories we can exchange on the Sand siblings." She said with a smile.

"Oh yes," the older blonde nodded with delight, taking the girl's hands gently. "I have a feeling we shall be getting along quite pleasantly."

"I look forward to it." She replied. Then she stood, and looking back over the room with an air of authority, left.

As she was walking down the streets she debated on what she should do. It was late afternoon, so she had about half an hour to wander a bit before needing to be home to make dinner. She felt something hit her shoulder then, followed by the sound of objects hitting the ground. Looking to see what had happened, she saw a woman with faded brown hair bent over and picking up her dropped books.

Minako immediately knelt down to help her. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" she apologized, feeling like a klutz.

"It's okay dear, it happens to all of us at some point or another." She answered. They finished picking up the books and stood. Handing what she had picked up over, Minako smiled. "I'm Minako by the way." She said, introducing herself.

"Yoko." The woman replied, taking the books from her. Then she looked at her, a bit confused. "I haven't ever seen you around the village before. Are you visiting?" she asked, curiosity shining in her brown eyes.

She smiled at the question. "Sort of. I just moved here from Konoha." She said.

Recognition dawned on the woman's face, and she frowned slightly. "I remember the last time people from Konoha came here. It was a disaster." Then she cocked her head to the side. "Now that you mention it though, you do look really familiar. Who are your parents?"

Surprise lit the ebony haired girl's face then. She had never been asked that question before. "Oh, well my mother is Hyuuga Hinata, and my father is Uzumaki Naruto, the Sixth Hokage of Leaf." She told her, proud of her lineage.

Suddenly all the kindness in the other woman's stance and face fled, and was replaced with disdain. "That makes sense now. I remember that monster and the slut that was with him." She said with a sneer.

Minako's eyes widened. Nobody had ever spoken of her parents that way. _Ever_. "My father is not a monster! And my mother's not a slut!" she said, defending her parents.

Yoko snorted. "Oh yes they are. But it makes sense. You know, the monster marrying and reproducing with the slut. I bet nobody else would have her, so he was her best choice." She continued. Minako's eyes had begun to water by now, and she had brought her arms up to hug herself tightly. She had never met a meaner person in her entire life.

"And based on what you're wearing, they had a slut for a daughter. It makes sense though, that you're marrying the Kazekage. His father married a whore, so it is only right that he would follow in his footsteps. The apple never falls far from the tree after all." She said in contempt.

By now Minako was crying silently. Why was this woman being so mean to her? Just then a comforting hand was placed on her shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. Yoko just looked horrified. "I'm sure my father would love to hear what you've said about him and my mother Yoko. I guess you still haven't learned your lesson." Toshiro's voice came, dripping with abhorrence.

Minako looked up at him, surprised. He was the last person she expected to see at the moment, but she was grateful for his interruption. "Now last time I checked…" he began, looking back down at Minako and tracing his hand down her arm, finally taking her hand with his. "Being a 'slut' meant that you slept with multiple people. So seeing as Minako here has done nothing of the sort with anyone besides myself, I fail to see why that makes her one."

"Oh K-Kazekage-sama I meant no disrespect." The older woman bowed, trying to appease him.

"Sure you did Yoko. Because by insulting Minako, you insulted me, and by insulting me, you have insulted my father. So you really did intend disrespect, because your pedophilic little shriveled hands couldn't get my dad, or me for that matter." He smiled then, appearing pleasant to the surrounding villagers. "And on another note, you _have_ slept with an ample amount of old men, seeing as you cannot get that fresh blood you so crave. So why don't you go home, dress up, and go show some other eighty year old what he has to settle for. Good day." He said shortly and led Minako past her, starting home.

Minako wiped the tears from her cheeks with her free hand, ashamed at him seeing her cry. She hated it when people saw her cry, especially Toshiro. She felt that she needed to be strong for him, and that crying was a weakness.

They came upon the house soon, and once they entered she walked towards the kitchen to make dinner, face still sad. "Dinner should be ready in about half an hour, if that's okay." She told him, voice solemn.

He grabbed her wrist quickly, stopping her from moving any further. "Why don't you just relax…and I'll cook dinner for you? You always do it so it's really no trouble." He said to her kindly, lifting his hand to her cheek and stroking it softly.

"Okay." She said, glancing away. Then she looked up at him, eyes shining from her previous tears. "Shiro-kun? Do you…do you think I dress like a slut? Because I can go get different clothes…" She said. If that was the image she was giving the villagers she wanted to change it before they were married, so that they wouldn't have to deal with such talk.

He blinked and just stared at her for a moment. "You don't dress like a slut Minako. I like the way you dress, and Yoko was only saying that because she's a gross pedophile. She also called my mom a slut on her first visit here. Really don't worry about her." He gave her a reassuring smile and then placed both his hands on her hips. They moved down just a bit, giving him a small taste of her butt. "In fact...if you wanted to…I wouldn't mind if you lost some of them."

She blushed a deep red. Placing her hands on his biceps, she smiled up at him timidly. "Well, that might just have to be something I do in the comfort of our home. If you're lucky." She said, pressing against him slightly.

She felt him tremble from the feel of her body, which indicated he had really never been close to a woman this way. "Hey. I'm the Kazekage and what I say goes." he told her with a smirk.

"True. But it wouldn't be natural if I didn't defy you in some manner." She said, her smile widening.

His expression matched hers and he slowly pressed her waist against his. "How about tonight…you sleep with me…you know in my bed…well I mean our bed…"

Her eyes widened and the smile left her face from shock. She was speechless…sort of. "Really? I-I've never shared a bed with anyone else before…" she said. Then she nodded, smiling at him once again. "Alright, I will."

"Great!" he seemed very happy now. "So you can go ahead and move your stuff back downstairs and I will start dinner." He pulled away from her then and headed into the kitchen to prepare their meal.

She went upstairs and grabbed all of her things. Then she ran back down and into the master bedroom. One of the things that excited her the most was the fact that she would now get to use the big shower. Every day. She put all of her things away on its proper place, and then went out to see what was cooking for dinner.

"It smells good." She said with a smile, leaning against the bar.

"Well it's done." He said with a small smile. "So let's eat."

They went into the dining room and enjoyed a quiet dinner with no interruptions from anyone. Which was actually pretty surprising. After everything was cleaned up and all the lights in the house were off, the two went to bed together. For the first time.


	16. Relaxation

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Ten_

-Relaxation-

"So who all is going to be at breakfast?" Minako asked as they neared the restaurant.

Toshiro shivered, not wanting to think about the black hole of chaos they were about to walk into. "Everyone is going to be there."

"Everyone? Who's everyone?" she wondered, looping her arm through his.

"Well my mother and father are going to be there, Yuki as well. Plus your parents and Shuhei. They all want to see each other since it's been so long, and celebrate our marriage. But that's not all. My Aunt Temari and Uncle Shikamaru will be there with Kumori and Kallen. You remember Kumori from the Chuunin Exams right?" She nodded and started taking mental notes so she didn't get the names mixed up.

He continued on, "Kiba and Ino are coming as well, with Yuri. She's one of the sweetest girls ever, you will really like her. I don't know how she turned out so well. Aunt Ino can be a bona fide bitch sometimes. And Kiba…well…yeah I don't even want to get into that. Kallen and Yuri are best friends, they act more like twins though, and they try and look alike because they're both blonde, so get ready for that. Satomi is coming and then Akito and Natsumi, who for some reason will be running late."

They finally came to the front door and he held it open for her. It was easy to spot the large group that was forming in the private dining area. His parents were already there with Yuki and so were Minako's. Shuhei was busy touching the angry redheaded girl's hair and telling her how beautiful she was. The usual. Kiba was seated by Gaara, laughing wildly as the older redhead glared him down. Ino was beside him and Yuri beside her. Another little blonde haired girl was beside the lighter gold, her hair put up in two crazy pony tails with Temari beside her, followed by Shikamaru and then Kumori, both looking very uninterested. Toshiro took a seat next to Kumori after pulling out Minako's chair for her. There were only three empty chairs until Satomi came in and sat beside Minako with a grimace on her face.

"What's up Satomi-chan?" Minako asked her friend. Usually she looked uninterested, but since she had a facial expression something must have happened.

"I have to be here, that's what's up. Do you understand how irritating these people are?" she looked over at her and sighed. This was going to be awful. "And Natsumi didn't come home last night. She knows I worry about her when she stays out."

Minako just nodded in understanding, although she had a pretty good idea of who her friend was with. Suddenly her father's voice drowned out all the rest. "No way Kiba! I could totally beat you in a burping contest! I am the master of all that is gaseous!" the Hokage declared, pointing a finger in the air.

The table went silent at this and just stared at him. Minako looked up to the heavens pleadingly. "Why me?' she whispered.

"Naruto-kun…I don't think that is something to be proud of." Hinata said softly.

"Hi everyone!" Natsumi's beautiful voice chimed, getting the group's attention. She came in, pulling an uninterested Uchiha with her, their fingers laced tightly together. "Sorry we're late." She smiled, spotting the two empty seats. Gaara did nothing to hide the hateful glare towards the Uchiha who dare touch his daughter in such a way. Natsumi sat beside her sister and Akito placed himself right next to her.

"And just where have you two been?" the head of the Sabaku family asked.

Natsumi rolled her eyes and locked glares with her dad. "We had to shower didn't we?"

"Natsumi!" Sakura almost shrieked, going a dark pink at the thought of her daughter in the shower with Akito.

"Not together! Jeez!"

Akito just rolled his eyes. Did she always have to phrase things so that people got the wrong idea first? Minako smiled as her suspicions were confirmed. She would have to have a talk with Akito later about their behavior though. It really wasn't appropriate since they weren't in any sort of relationship.

The waiter came by then and took everyone's drink orders. When he took Minako's he just shook his head and smiled. "You are just right for Kazekage-sama." He said before leaving to get their drinks.

"Gosh Minako, can you not keep your OCD tendencies at home for once?" Shuhei asked. To him it didn't matter how many cubes were in his water, as long as it was cold.

She glared at her brother. "What? Six ice cubes makes the water the exact temperature I like it. Besides, Shiro-kun did the same thing." She said, crossing her arms.

"I like increments of five." He shrugged, getting odd looks from the table.

Kiba snickered, looking over at the youngest twin and the frowning Uchiha, who only seemed to have a spark of interest in a conversation when Natsumi spoke to him. "Well, well, well." The brunette chuckled, looking at his old friends. "Looks like your little girl is a sexual deviant just like you guys were." He met eyes with the beautiful jade of Natsumi, who was suddenly interested. "Did you know Natsumi that before your parents even told each other they loved one another they went all the way on Gaara's desk?" he smacked the table, cracking up now despite the murderous glares being sent his way.

Natsumi was wide eyed and gasped, "Really?! They always get mad at me because I like to play rough with Akito!"

"We did _not_ go all the way!" Gaara yelled, making the whole restaurant go silent then. He was a bit wide eyed from his outburst but then huffed. "She was almost naked. _That's all_."

Sakura crossed her arms. "Yeah. We _would_ have gone all the way plenty of other times too, but you idiots wouldn't stop interrupting." She complained. "So all in all, we were forced to wait until after the wedding."

"Mom!" Natsumi gasped.

"What?!" she asked, looking over at her daughter. "We can still tell you to wait since we did. We're not hypocrites."

"Maybe I don't want to wait." She said, crossing her arms defiantly.

It was Gaara's turn to speak up, but it was not directed at his daughter. "Well here's a better incentive. You deflower my daughter Uchiha. You die." The redhead glared, making eye contact with Akito.

"I never said I had any intention in deflowering her." Akito said, crossing his arms and returning the glare. "And if I did, it would be worth dying for." He said with a smirk.

A dark blush spread across her face. Gaara looked a bit shocked at the answer. No one was brave enough to back talk him like that. Well aside from Natsumi, but that was his own flesh and blood.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaamn." Shuhei laughed, smiling at everyone.

"Shuhei, if you say that one more time there will be no more ramen for the rest of our stay here." Hinata threatened, giving her son a serious look.

Naruto placed his hand over his heart and fell back into his chair. "How cruel Hinata-chan!"

"The horror!" Shuhei yelled, looking as if he were already suffering from withdrawal. Minako just snickered at her brother. Their drinks were delivered then, and everyone ordered their food.

"So Minako," Ino began, focusing her pale blue eyes on the daughter of her old friends. "How do you like Suna so far?"

"I really like it. I'm just not used to the heat yet." She said, smiling slightly.

"Oh don't worry," Kiba waved her off and smiled. "You get used to it pretty fast. And your outfit isn't too hot so I'm sure it'll be fine. Once your body adapts everywhere else just seems chilly or too cold."

Natsumi laughed, "Yeah, Konoha's pretty cool. But I like it there. It's nice to see green everywhere instead of yellow."

"I hate it." Satomi put it.

"Nobody cares what you think." Akito said, cutting into his pancakes that the waiter had just delivered.

The older twin glared hatefully at him, Natsumi now caught in the crossfire. "You know what _Uchiha,_ no one cares what you think. And your 'I'm so emo I can't figure out what love is' attitude is really annoying. But then again maybe your brain is as slow as you are compared to my sister." She sneered, taking a bite out of her French toast.

"Whatever." He said, not caring enough to spare her a glance. "Plenty of people care about what I think, especially Natsumi. Otherwise she wouldn't always ask me for my opinion on everything." He replied, reaching for his glass.

"Can you two wait and argue about this where I won't have to worry about a scene being created and/or something broken?" Sakura asked, putting ketchup on her hash browns.

"Silence mom." Satomi spat out, holding her hand out to quiet her mother. "Really now?" she arched her brow and then looked at her sister. "Which of us do you prefer Natsumi? Hm?"

The girl went wide eyed and looked between Akito and Satomi. "Obviously me, since she's been ditching you to spend time with me. Especially at night." Akito said, smirking in triumph.

"I love you both the same, just in different ways." She laughed, a bit awkwardly. Hoping she could get away with this.

"That's it Uchiha!" Satomi yelled, standing up and glaring down at him. "You want to go?!"

"Sabaku no Satomi! Sit down!" Sakura yelled, standing up and pointing at her chair for emphasis.

Satomi looked over at her mother, almost daring her to do something. Reluctantly, the pink haired medic sat down and focused on nothing more than her food. "Well," Temari laughed, patting her blonde daughter on the head. "Isn't this just a great time?"

Sakura sat down and resumed eating her meal. Naruto looked over at his redheaded friend. "Wow Gaara, you should control your kids better. Like me!" he said with a smile.

Minako rolled her eyes at him and snorted. "Yeah, we all saw how well you did that when we first arrived. Didn't we dad?" she asked, raising a delicate brow at him. This only caused him to 'hmph' and cross his arms, much like a child that didn't get their way.

The rest of breakfast went fairly smooth, the conversation was decent and everyone seemed to talk with at least one other person. When they were all finally finished, Gaara took care of the bill. He was ready to go home and just relax all day with his wife. "Well, that was lovely." Sakura smiled, standing up. Gaara began to move as well until Sakura said, "Alright ladies. Ready to go?" he stopped and gave his wife a confused stare. Temari got up as well and pulled Kallen with her, who looked really excited. As did Ino and Yuri. Most of the men around the table assumed a look of confusion much like Gaara's.

"Where are you going?" Toshiro asked, noticing Minako was up as well.

"We're going to the spa to get our nails done. You know, sort of a girl's thing." She said, smiling at him.

Yuki rolled her eyes and went by her mother. She wasn't exactly excited about the whole thing, but she really did love getting pampered. Satomi got up and went with her mother too, already heading for the door. Natsumi smiled and folded her napkin and slid her chair back so she could get out.

"You're going too?" Akito asked her, looking slightly alarmed. He didn't want to be left alone all day. Or have to stay with these people, since he hated crowds. And this was a crowd to him.

"Of course silly, it's a girl's day. And when I was gone those three days I totally wrecked my nails." She laughed and leaned down to him, playing with some of his hair. "Don't worry," her voice dropped, becoming a bit more seductive. "We can play later." she let her fingers slide down his neck slowly.

He shivered slightly at her touch. He reached out and placed his hand on her hip, tracing her scar, as was one of his favorite things to do. "You bet we will." He promised huskily.

She giggled sweetly and moved away from him, following Hinata and Minako out since they had been waiting for her. Toshiro stared at his friend, "That's so gross man…"

"What?" he asked, confused as to what the redhead was talking about.

"Don't what me." He crossed his arms and shivered. "It's hard to believe you guys really haven't done anything. You're like animals."

"Whatever. You know, you should try doing that with Minako. It's a lot of fun, even if you don't do anything." Akito said, smiling slightly.

Gaara slammed his hands on the table and glared at the dark haired man. "There is a difference in him doing it to Minako! They are engaged! You are tainting my beautiful and innocent Natsumi!"

At this Kiba and Toshiro burst into laughter, even Kumori and Shikamaru were trying their best to control their own. "Yeah, she's _real_ innocent." Her uncle said with a wide smirk.

"Besides, my daughter has more class than that. I bet Toshiro hasn't even seen her in her pajamas." Naruto said, crossing his arms and nodding in assurance.

Akito snorted and looked over at his red headed friend, giving him a knowing look. "Yeah, sure."

"Naruto…I've seen _all_ Minako has to offer." Toshiro smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"That's my boy." Gaara said proudly, mimicking his son's actions.

"What?! I'm gonna kill you!" the blonde yelled, trying to jump onto the table to strangle the young redhead. Kiba held him back though.

"Dude, you saw Gaara and Sakura on that desk all those years ago, you should have known once you handed Minako over to Toshiro something like that would happen!" he said.

"That doesn't matter! I'm still gonna kill him!" Naruto yelled, beginning to overpower the brunette in his attempt to climb onto the table. Shuhei just watched the whole scene, wide-eyed. He had no idea his sister was that perverted. Perverted, yes, but not that much.

Shuhei wanted to calm the group down so he announced loudly. "We should play a game!"

Both Kiba and Naruto stopped in their struggle. "Of course! We could use some man time!" Kiba smiled, rubbing his finger under his nose.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, "We could sweat and get rough and physical!" the blonde was now excited.

"No!" Both Gaara and Kiba yelled together.

"You're so gross Naruto!" the brunette glared. "Not _that_ kind of man time."

"You know what I meant!" he yelled, crossing his arms.

"I am not going to play a game with you two losers." Akito said, getting up from his seat.

The older men looked over at him and smirked. "What? Pretty boy scared?" Kiba taunted.

"Ch. I don't want to hurt your fragile bones. It wouldn't do for you to wind up dead, would it dog boy?" he asked, taunting him back.

Deciding it was time to stop this bickering, Toshiro spoke up and focused on the youngest blonde. "Ok Shuhei. What do you want to play?"

"I want to play handball!" he exclaimed.

Gaara smirked, he was down with that game. Kiba laughed and gave a thumbs up, "That's my kinda game."

"Come on." Toshiro gave a look to his best friend and his uncle and cousin.

"Fine." The two Nara's agreed.

"Whatever." Akito said. They all left the restaurant then and went to the nearest handball field. When they arrived Naruto turned to the group and clasped his hands together.

"Okay guys! Let's pick teams!" he said.

Akito held his fist out to Toshiro, who bumped it. "Let's do this." The Uchiha said, beginning to get in the zone.

Gaara walked away from his two annoyances and stood behind Akito and Toshiro. "Let's kill them." He said, seeming to forget all his hatred for the dark haired boy.

"No way am I going to be on the same side as Naruto." Shikamaru said, leaving them for the other three.

"Well looks like it's you, me, the boy, and the Shika clone!" Kiba laughed and gave them all a thumbs up. He whistled loudly and soon a large white dog bound up to them, sliding to a stop and rubbing against his master. "Hey there Akamaru. Ready to dominate?"

"Hn. You need to use your dog in order to have a better fighting chance? Typical." Akito said, contempt written all over his face. He didn't like this man, and he wasn't going to keep it a secret.

Kiba simply rolled his eyes. "Please Uchiha pup. You haven't played a game with this group yet. We're all a bunch of cheaters. And you say you won't now, but then the game starts and it's on. There are _no_ rules in ninja handball." He explained, stretching and cracking his back and neck.

"It's true." Gaara admitted, with a small sigh.

"Fine. Might as well start now." He said, activating his sharingan.

Shuhei followed the older man's lead and activated his byakugan. "I am so pumped right now you guys have no idea." He said with a huge grin.

Kiba went over and found a good sized red rubber ball and tossed it up, making sure it was hard enough to withstand the force it was about to endure. "Let's go." He said, tossing it up and beginning the game with a hard smack.

* * *

"Ahhhhh…." Temari sat back in her chair, enjoying the work that was being done to her feet. "So nice to just relax sometimes." Her daughter mimicked her actions and laughed as the pedicurist started scrubbing her feet.

"Yeah. Playing handball with those kids every day really does a number on a girl." Minako agreed, smiling in content.

"You play handball with the kids every day?" Sakura asked, looking to her left at the girl.

"Well, most days. I don't really have anything else to do, and it's nice to get to know the kids and act like one." She answered.

"Minako just loves children." Hinata explained as she picked out the lotion she wanted.

Yuri sat at one of the tables having her nails done and smiling happily. "You know, we don't have a lot of teachers in the academy."

Natsumi walked in, having gotten a facial and slipped her ninja shoes off, taking a seat beside Minako and placing her feet in the nice water to start her pedicure. "Oh I totally forgot about that. Minako would you like to teach at the academy?"

"Really?! I'd love to!" she said happily. Then she looked at her finished nails. "They look lovely, thank you." She looked over at Yuki, who was getting her hair done. "How is it going with you Yuki-chan?" she asked. She hadn't gotten to see the girl much since arriving, and didn't want her to feel neglected.

"Good, I haven't gotten my hair treated in a while." She said simply, not wanting to be hostile to the only person who was always nice to her.

Natsumi laughed and nodded, "Yuki has beautiful hair, but she always wears it up in that silly ponytail."

The redhead glared over at her sister as the woman doing her hair nodded to the comment of how lovely her hair was. "I love doing Yuki-sama's hair. It's soft and cooperates very well."

"I think I will get mine done as well." Minako said, getting up since her toes were finished. She saw no point in getting a manicure, since her fighting style used mainly her hands. She walked over and sat in the chair next to Yuki. "You do realize Shuhei is going to go crazy when he sees your hair." Minako warned the girl, leaning back as a woman came up and began to brush her long dark locks.

Yuki went wide eyed and sat up, pulling her hair away from the woman. "Stop! I changed my mind! Lemme go get some dirt and run it through it."

Satomi rolled her eyes, flipping through a book as her toes were being done. "Just relax Yuki. Even if you chop off all your hair Shuhei will still tell you you're pretty. Then you'll be annoyed _and_ look weird."

The youngest Sabaku let out an irritated sigh, it was probably true. So she laid back and let her hair be treated with shampoos and oils.

Sakura sighed. "You have such pretty hair dear. I don't understand why you insist on wearing it up all the time."

"Yuki-chan probably doesn't want it to get in her face when she fights. That's why I wore mine in a ponytail until I was seventeen." Minako pointed out, closing her eyes in bliss as the hair stylist put shampoo in her hair and massaged her scalp.

"Well she could do something a bit more appealing with it." Natsumi put in, glancing over to the book Satomi was reading. "After all Satomi keeps hers out of her face and still looks beautiful."

Satomi smirked, glad to have her sister's praise instead of hearing about the Uchiha boy. "Too bad I don't give a crap about what you think Natsumi. I don't care because I'm not throwing myself at some guy." Yuki snapped.

Natsumi sat up and looked over at her younger sister. "Excuse me? You little brat."

"You heard me." The redhead rolled her eyes, pretending to be un-intimidated by her sister. When in reality she was doing her best not to panic. Out of all her siblings, Natsumi was the most ruthless no matter who it was.

"Girls, be nice. We are here to relax, not argue." Sakura said. Then she got up and walked over to where Ino was. "Ready for our massages Pig?" she asked.

"Ready Forehead." The blonde answered, getting up and walking with her friend into another room. Gaara only let Sakura get massages when it was a woman doing them and she wasn't alone. He still remembered that time they had gone to the spa with Temari and Shikamaru.

Hinata looked over at her daughter then and cocked her head to the side slightly. Something was different about her. "You look different Minako dear. You have this glow about you." She observed.

Minako opened her eyes and looked at her mother. "I do?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, you do. Did something change between you and Toshiro-sama?" the elder woman asked.

"Yeah. We slept together for the first time last night, and it was really great." She said, blushing slightly.

"Y-you did what?" Hinata asked her daughter, shocked.

Yuki practically yelled and looked over at her to be sister in law. "What?! How could you! He's gross!"

Natsumi and Satomi just sighed, they didn't think it was a big deal and they really didn't care. Minako's eyes widened as she realized what they were thinking. "No! Not like that! Just…in the same bed. Nothing happened Mama I swear." She said.

"Oh. As long as it stays that way until after the wedding, I'm fine with it." Hinata said, leaning back into her chair.

"Seriously, big deal. Akito and I sleep with each other all the time." Natsumi shrugged, picking up a magazine from the rack by her chair. Satomi went wide eyed and glared over at her sister.

"What?!"

Sakura stomped back into the room, wrapped in her towel. "What did you just say young lady?" she asked, raising a brow at her daughter.

"What?" she asked, like it was no big deal. "You know I don't sleep well mom. Where did you think I went at night when we were in Konoha? Or why I haven't been in my room the past couple days."

"Oh no. I put up with all that other crap you two do with each other, but enough is enough. You just wait until your father hears about this." She threatened.

Natsumi went wide eyed and leaned forward, wishing she could move so she could properly beg her mother. "Mom! No! You can't tell him! He'll kill Akito! He just helps me sleep at night! We don't do anything I swear!"

Yuki snickered, she loved when Natsumi was distressed. Satomi was simmering in her own anger. Had she known that her sister was with the Uchiha she would have dragged her sorry butt home.

"No. The things you two say to each other, the not so innocent touching…that's all I can ignore without your father getting angry with me for not getting onto you two. Besides, if he is man enough for you, then Akito will be able to hold his own against Gaara." She said. Then she went back into the room to finish her massage before her daughter could get in another word.

"You should just enter into a real relationship with Akito-kun, Natsumi-chan. That way nobody really has a right to question your actions." Minako advised as the hair dresser rubbed some kind of shine stuff in her hair and began to brush it once more.

Natsumi was a dark red then, "I would but…I mean I know I love him. But I don't want to say something like that and then have him freak out. I'm pretty positive, but he only said he had interest in me. What if that's not enough? And we're from different villages."

Temari scoffed, "That's no excuse Natsumi and you know it. You're just afraid he doesn't love you and that's it. But hey, it's not your fault, your parents were morons too." The blonde said, she was reclined and had cucumbers over her eyes as her toes and fingers were being done.

The woman working on Natsumi moved to her hands and began her manicure. Sometimes working in a nail salon paid off, you got to hear the juiciest stories.

Minako gave her friend a pitying look. "Why don't you just tell him? Akito-kun has issues with love. His father doesn't really show it, so the only kind of love Akito-kun knows is what he sees. The love he sees in my family, and the love he sees between friends. He might be under the impression that you only lust after him, and are very possessive. Although, I know he has more than an interest, since he treats you completely different from other people." She said as her hair began to be trimmed. Not drastically, but just enough so that all of the split ends were gone.

"But I _am_ possessive!" she growled, and leaned back. "And you can't just _tell_ someone you love them. It's got to be the perfect time. I mean…yes he's attractive and I am extremely physically attracted to him. I mean, God! Have you seen his body?! Those rock hard abs just make me want to scream!"

"You are screaming dear." Hinata said. "Besides, your parents didn't get together until after your mother confessed. And even then he rejected her until he figured out that she was what he wanted. It couldn't possibly get any worse than that."

She sighed and ran her hand down her face, "I guess…I don't know. I don't want to talk about it anymore." She said simply, closing her eyes to try and relax. She didn't know what to do. She loved Akito so much, he was the only one she could sleep with and she wouldn't wake. He made her feel peaceful when her emotions were so chaotic. He was the negative to her positive.

About an hour later everyone was done with their pampering, so they paid and left the spa. "What should we do now?" Minako asked, looking at the group of women.

"We should go find the boys and show them how beautiful we look of course." Sakura said with an easygoing smile. Mostly she just wanted to see Gaara and make sure that he hadn't killed Kiba, Naruto, or Akito yet.

The girls walked around the village chatting animatedly, since they all got along. Even Yuki had a smile on her face, joking around with her sisters and Minako. "I wonder where they are." Temari huffed, crossing her arms after they had looked at most the usual places.

Sakura looked back at her daughters and gave Natsumi a look, "Sweetheart, find your daddy and your brother for us."

"Okay," she smiled, letting Yuki down from the hug she had just attacked her with. She closed her arms and let her sand spread, trying to find out where the other sand masters were. "Found them." She chimed shortly after and led the group of beauties to one of the largest handball courts. They stopped, wide eyed at what they saw.

"Go Akito! Go!" Toshiro yelled, as the Uchiha dashed around Naruto. The younger redhead smacked the ball with his mother's force straight at his friend. The blonde moved to intercept, but was met with a sand wall that slammed him to the ground. Gaara smirked, moving his hand lower so the Hokage was under a painful squeeze.

"Yeah! Go Shiro-kun! That was an awesome pass!" Minako yelled to him, arms in the air from her excitement. The other women just looked at her in surprise. She blushed and lowered her arms. "I mean…go team." She said softly.

Natsumi and Satomi laughed together, but Yuki just scowled. She hated how much praise her brother received from everyone. Akito turned around and kicked the ball straight into the goal, right past Shuhei's face. "Go Akito!" Natsumi screamed happily, "Take 'em down!" she laughed maniacally.

"Game point. We win." Akito said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Then all of their gazes turned to the group of women. Before anything was said Shuhei was by Yuki's side, gripping her in a fierce hug. "Wow Yuki-chan! I thought your hair was beautiful before, but now it's just radiant! Like a fire! Together, our hair looks like the sun!" he declared, rubbing his cheek against hers affectionately.

The twins laughed and pat their angry younger sister on the head "Told you." They chimed together. The redhead growled and tried to pry Shuhei off her.

"Get off me you weirdo!" she yelled, moving her arms between them and shoving him, but he just wouldn't let go. Natsumi continued giggling and walked over to her Uchiha.

"I didn't know you were so skilled at handball Akito." She smiled sweetly at him.

He crossed his arms and looked down at her. "Ch. Handball is the most played game in Konoha. Plus it's one of Minako's favorites." He said.

Said woman walked over to Toshiro. "Having fun?" she asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

The redhead looked down at her and smiled, "Yes it's a lot of fun. Akito is a good partner. And my dad's the best goalie, so we were pretty undefeatable." He nodded and then stared at her oddly. "Is there something different about your hair?"

She blushed slightly, glad that he had noticed. "Yes. I got it trimmed a bit and whatever it is Yuki-chan has them do to hers. Do you like it?" she asked, hopefully.

"Oh, yes Yuki's hair is always very nice. Suna knows how to make sure your skin and hair don't get damaged since it is the dry desert." He nodded. He really liked it but decided not to say more.

Gaara went beside Sakura and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Hello my love. You look beautiful as always."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. You look sexy, as always. Especially when you're dominating people." She told him with a mischievous grin.

He smirked and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. "I look better when I'm dominating you." He said, giving her more kisses, not caring that there was a crowd.

"Okay already!" Satomi yelled, glaring at her parents, who separated quickly, looking like two teenagers caught doing something dirty.

"Hey, do you guys want to play another game?" Shuhei asked, his arm wrapped around Yuki's shoulders now, since she didn't want him to hug her.

"That sounds like fun." Natsumi said with a small clap. "I'd love to beat Akito here down." She snickered, patting his flat stomach.

Toshiro scoffed, "I'm sorry ladies but what we're talking about is a man's game." Nearly every woman had a glare set in place at this.

"Excuse me?!" Both Natsumi and Satomi asked, setting their hands on their hips.

"What? You wouldn't want to play, you might break a nail." The redhead said simply.

"It was a pretty brutal game," Gaara continued as Kiba nodded.

The brunette smiled, "Much too rough for our lovely ladies."

"Yuki-chan can play! I bet she's awesome, just like always!" Shuhei declared, smiling at her.

"A man's game huh?" Minako asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Then you wouldn't mind if we played, since it will be easier for you to win." She stated, raising a delicate brow and daring Toshiro to object. She played this game almost every day with the kids. There was no way she would lose now.

He laughed and shrugged. "I guess. If you really want to lose."

Natsumi's jaw dropped, "Are you kidding me?! Girls are totally better than guys! Right Akito?" she turned to him, giving him a demanding look.

He smirked. "Not in physical prowess. Guys are better than girls in fighting, and in sports." He said condescendingly.

"Oh it is SO on." Sakura said with a fierce glare, moving to their side of the field. She stopped and locked gazes with Gaara, a menacing look in her eyes that promised retribution as she tightened her gloves.

The redhead paled. He could vaguely remember the last time he played against Sakura in this game. Something told him this was a bad idea, but of course his pride would not let him admit it. "Fine darling. I suppose we will just have to fight." He told her, walking after her and facing her.

Natsumi grabbed Akito's face gently and forced his gaze to hers. "You're going to regret that." She smiled darkly, patting his cheek a little roughly. She moved away from him and stood at the center of the field, since she was the fastest.

"So guys against girls?" Ino smirked, setting her hands on her hips and then telling Yuri to go sit on the bench with Kallen. "This should be fun."

"We'll cheer you on mommy!" Yuri smiled and waved.

Kiba gasped and held his heart. "My sweet little girl! You won't cheer for your daddy?"

"Nope." She giggled happily.

Everyone else took to the field, Yuki stood in the goal with her arms crossed. She hated being goalie, even if she was good at it. She really only hated it because her sisters were always in the front. Since Natsumi was as fast as lightning and Satomi could send the ball through a solid wall.

Minako moved so that she was in front of Toshiro, promising herself that she would make him pay sometime during the game. Hinata walked onto the field with a sigh and stopped before her husband. She knew from previous game playing experiences that this would not go well.

"Yuki." Sakura said, looking into eyes that mirrored her own.

"What mommy?" she asked, looking bored out of her mind.

"I don't care what it takes, make me proud and annihilate your brother. He must be taught a lesson." She told her daughter, knowing that it would make her happy.

Her youngest stared in awe. _No way_, Yuki thought. She was just given permission to take Toshiro down. A dark smile crept up her face and she looked just like her sisters. "Yes mommy. I won't let you down." Her sand rose and spun around slowly, just waiting to destroy.

Gaara looked over at the young Uchiha and cleared his throat. "Take Natsumi down Akito. You play center, you're the only one even close to keeping up with her."

"Yes sir." He said, eyes turning crimson once more.

Minako activated her byakugan and smirked as her brother did the same. If he thought he would stand a chance he was wrong. Hers was far more developed and stronger, and she had a natural talent for it.

Satomi cracked her knuckles loudly, holding the ball. She would be the one to start the game. Natsumi crouched down and Akito recognized the position. She was going to go with speed first. She didn't even smile at him, or taunt him in a playful way. Her eyes locked with his crimson. She was still the only one who stared _that_ boldly into them.

Toshiro smirked and finally took his gaze off Minako. "Akito. I wouldn't hold back at all. Natsumi never holds back and she'll try and kill you."

Gaara nodded, he knew his daughter and as to her nature when she didn't get what she wanted bad things tended to happen. Of course he refused to admit her temper was his fault because he _always _gave her what she wanted, told her what she wanted to hear, and called her his precious little princess who deserved everything she ever wanted.

Akito smirked, his gaze never leaving hers. "I wouldn't dream of treating the little princess otherwise." He mocked. "I might offend her precious pride."

Gaara and Toshiro laughed, facing forward then. Natsumi's glare only got icier, he was going to _pay_. Without warning Satomi threw the ball into the air and when her hand made contact with the rubber, it almost formed around her whole fist due to the force. It went sailing up and forward. Then Natsumi disappeared in a flash, appearing above Akito and slamming her foot down on his head, moving too fast to avoid even with his sharingan, and causing him to fall forward. She landed on his back and pushed off, twirling around in the air so she could kick the ball. It flew forward, narrowly making it through the sand that almost stopped it.

"Nice work girls." Sakura praised, smirking in triumph. Akito righted himself and glared. Now he was pissed. And embarrassed. Natsumi would pay for that, one way or another.

Natsumi was already in place for her own pass, flipping forward on her hands and nailing the ball once more with a kick and sending it straight over Shuhei's head and into the goal. This had only been possible because Minako and Sakura had taken care of Naruto and Kiba. "YES!" Natsumi yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "GOAL!"

"One to zero!" Ino announced happily, pumping her fist in the air.

Natsumi maneuvered around the boys and jumped up, turning in the air and landing in front of Akito. "Oh sorry," she gave him a fake pout. "Did I just hurt your _pride_?" she asked, her pout quickly turning into a vicious smirk.

"Hn." Was all he said, glaring down at her. Then he looked away from her in dismissal, waiting for the ball to be put back into play.

She tried to control her rage from his brush off, but her sand was already moving erratically around her. She took in a deep breath and backed away from him. Toshiro walked up, holding the ball and pointed it at Natsumi. "This one's aimed right for your pretty little face Natsumi." He said with a smirk. She looked pretty unstable right now, no doubt from Akito's uncaring nature. He might actually get her.

He threw the ball up and hit it with the side of his fist, sending it straight for his intended target. Akito wanted to warn her, or push her out of the way. Something. But he knew it wouldn't be wise, since his teammates would get mad at him. Natsumi could take care of herself anyways. He had faith in her abilities.

Her glare instantly shifted from Akito to the red suddenly in her face. She moved back, sending her leg up and hitting the ball into the air and over towards Minako. "Take it Minako!" she ordered, flipping back with one hand. Toshiro made a move for the ball as well, but suddenly stopped and became lifeless. Ino kept her focus on him and then suddenly the redhead turned around and connected a chakra filled punch with Kiba's face.

Minako flash stepped and grabbed the ball in a leap, landing gracefully. She moved to throw the ball, but stopped when her father was before her. "Oh no you don't! Gimme that!" he yelled, moving to take it from her.

She stuck out her lower lip and widened her eyes. "You wouldn't take it away from me, would you daddy?" she asked, the image of innocence. This caused Naruto to pause long enough for Minako to throw the ball over to Sakura, who punched with enough force to send it sailing across the field and into the goal.

"Aw man! Tricked by my own child!" Naruto said, throwing his hands up in the air.

Sakura ran over to Minako and gave her a high five. "Nice going sweetie. You will fit into this family nicely."

"Thank you Sakura-sama." She said, sticking her tongue out at Toshiro, who had finally regained control of his body.

He shook from his stupor and growled. This was really making him angry. He would not be beat by his mother, sisters, and his fiancé. He was the alpha male. Well…the second alpha male if that made sense. Gaara called a quick time out and the guys came together, all very irritated. "Okay this is not working. It's time to divide and conquer." He ordered.

Kiba rubbed his sore face and nodded, "But what are we going to do?"

"Listen, we need to each focus on one of them. They work like a team, and since Natsumi and Minako are so darn fast they can change up their plan quickly. But I have a plan of my own. Toshiro, you keep Minako pinned no matter what." The older redhead said, getting a nod from his son. "Kiba, you and Akamaru take care of Ino. She can only take over one mind right? So if either of you gets taken the other can free you. Naruto you keep Hinata busy, I'll focus on Sakura. Shuhei, if Yuki even attempts to try anything you stop her. Shikamaru, trap Temari and don't let her go. She hasn't used her wind yet but no doubt she will. And Kumori you handle Satomi, she needs to be unable to move. She mostly has power, but one hit could be another point." Gaara took a deep breath and then locked eyes with Akito. "Annihilate her. I don't care what it takes. I promise there are no hidden consequences, just take Natsumi out. She's smart and fast in both movement and thought. Handicap her."

"Yes sir." Akito said, nodding at the older redhead. He wouldn't let him down this time. They broke from their break and got back into position.

Toshiro had the ball again, seeing as he was the only one on their team with the monstrous strength. He locked eyes with Minako and smirked. "You ready? _Baby_?" he snickered, throwing it up high and then sending it forward with an intense speed. It was headed straight for the net but smacked against a solid wall of sand. It dropped down into Yuki's hands and she threw it back with an unexpected force.

"Gotta do better than that Toshiro!"

Temari hit it with her fan, the wind change causing it to curve. Natsumi was beside it in an instant, ready to send it straight into the goal. Akito saw the whole thing coming however, and was next to Natsumi in the air. Before she knew what was happening, he had grabbed her by the waist and swung her around, using her as a sort of bat. He hit the ball with extreme force, sending it straight into the net, since the entire action was too swift for Yuki to follow with her eyes.

He landed on his feet, Natsumi flung over his shoulders. He pat her butt and then sat her down, somewhat roughly. "My pride doesn't hurt so much anymore." He said, smirking at her.

It took her a second to actually comprehend what had just happened since she wasn't expecting it. She looked up at him, a small blush on her face. He was still trying to tease her even after she had been so mean. She mimicked his smirk and poked him in the chest. "Looks like we get to play after all."

He grabbed her finger before she could pull it away and yanked her towards him. "Of course. I said we would, and I _always_ keep my promises."

Her blush darkened and she boldly leaned against him. "I know you do," she smiled, getting on her tip toes and whispering into his ear. "Let's have some fun."

"Bring it." He whispered back. Then he walked away from her to get back in position, since Satomi had retrieved the ball from Yuki.

She did the same and locked eyes with him. Gaara smirked proudly, for some reason he was pleased with Akito. Though, having Natsumi in a less serious mood didn't assure their victory. After all, when she got pretty playful it was like the other side of the spectrum.

Satomi threw the ball up and smacked it over with amazing force. It almost went straight through the goal, but sand surrounded it and stopped its course. It dropped and Kumori hit it hard, sending it forward. Toshiro rocketed himself up with his sand and met the ball head on, pulling his fist back and sending the ball straight for the goal. Natsumi ran for it, but with all his power she narrowly missed it, and it broke through Yuki's sand barrier going straight into the goal.

"It's okay baby. You'll get him back." Sakura said reassuringly.

She growled angrily and grabbed the ball, glaring hatefully at her gloating brother. Toshiro ran up to Akito and they bumped fists.

She tossed it back over to Satomi, who gave her a confident smirk. She dropped the ball and kicked it up, round house kicking it straight into poor Kiba, who was slammed into the goal post. Toshiro scooped up the ball and gave it a bump to Akito, who then smacked it over to the girl's side. Natsumi was just about to hit it, when sand swarmed in front of her and veered the ball off course and towards Minako.

She ran for the ball and saw Toshiro coming at her from the corner of her eye. She smirked. Now was her chance to get him back. She waited until he got close to her, and then she reached out and traced his jaw with her hand, giving him a sultry look. He paused, shocked at her action. Then she elbowed him in the side, sending harmful chakra to the appendage. He grunted from the pain, and she flash stepped towards the ball, kicking it with enough force to send it sailing towards Satomi. She turned back to Toshiro and smirked. "I'm sorry _baby_. Did I hurt you? I didn't realize you were so delicate." She taunted.

He glared at her, trying to recover from the blow by healing himself. Satomi quickly hit the ball over towards Natsumi, who bounced it on her knee and then up on her elbow. She played a bit more, hitting the ball with her shoulder and sending it up. She flipped back, setting her hands on the ground and kicking the ball backwards towards her own goal. Gaara watched in confusion as did Shikamaru. What was she doing?

The ball sailed towards Yuki, who looked more than determined. "Go Yuki!" Natsumi yelled forming hand signs and shoving her hands forward. The sand beneath the youngest Sabaku's feet moved and shot the girl forward like a bullet. She pulled her fist back and hit the ball as hard as her small body could muster. It blasted forward so fast that even Akito couldn't intercept it. Toshiro ran and threw himself into the trajectory in an attempt to stop it.

When it hit the older redhead, he flew back and burst through his own sand wall, landing right in the goal. All the girls erupted into cheers, throwing their hands in the air excitedly. "Yes!" Natsumi screamed, running at her sister and scooping her up. The young redhead hugged her sister tightly, so proud of herself. Satomi joined the two, smiling brightly. "That was great Yuki!" the both said together.

"Yay Yuki!" Kallen and Yuri praised, clapping from the side lines.

Toshiro finally sat up, having had the wind knocked out of him. Akito walked over and offered him a hand. He stood with his help and kept his hand on his chest. "Good God that hurt." He laughed.

Akito smirked at his friend. "Well duh. If she has the same abilities as you of course it would hurt. Especially since you were stupid and used your body to block it."

Sakura ran up to her celebrating daughters and took Yuki in a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you honey! You are now my favorite child." She said with a huge smile.

"Hey!" Both Satomi and Natsumi gasped, crossing their arms in unison.

"Oh come on girls. You know I love you too. But what your sister did was amazing. I didn't realize you had been paying that much attention during your lessons with Shishou and I." she said, pulling away from her youngest child.

Yuki rolled her eyes, pretending to think nothing of it. But really she was so overjoyed that she had bested her brother for the first time. His flawless record was now stricken. "Thanks Mom." She said genuinely. Natsumi huffed, but couldn't help the smile that came across her face. She supposed Yuki deserved the spotlight for once. She looked over at Akito and Toshiro, deciding to join them and steal away her prize for a job well done.

"Hey Akito," she said happily, stopping by his side and totally ignoring Toshiro until, "So did it hurt bad Toshiro? You know all that pride falling right on top you?"

He glared at his perfect little sister and flicked her in the nose. She gasped and lunged at him, ready to strangle him for his injustice. Akito gripped her around the waist, holding her back. "What is it with you and pride, huh squirt?" he asked, smirking.

She looked up at him and huffed. "What? Pride is one of man's greatest treasures and I like crushing men. Hence I crush their pride." She explained, finally ceasing her attempt to get at her brother.

He pulled her flush against his body and began to trail his hand down her arm. "Really? So what is one of women's greatest treasures? Their nails? Which, by the way, you chipped." He told her, bringing her left hand up and rubbing his finger along the damaged nail, a smug look on his face.

Natsumi went wide eyed and yelled out with great displeasure. Akito had to drop her hand and cover his ears to prevent them from bleeding. "MY NAIL!" she screamed, cradling it as if it were something precious. "WHO DID IT?!" she demanded, turning around and glaring down every male on the field. "When I find out…" she seethed and then started to laugh darkly. "Oh they are going to _pay_."

"And on that note, I'm outta here." Kumori threw his hands in the air and walked off with Shikamaru trailing after.

Sakura ignored her daughter and sauntered over to Gaara. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him, a smug look on her face. "So…how did it feel to be dominated?" she asked.

He set his hands on her hips and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "I think it's time for a rematch." He muttered as his sand began to pick up. "Girls," Gaara spoke up, turning his attention to his daughters. "Find something to occupy your day so you don't come home…your mom and I are going to make waffles." And then the two vanished with the swirling sands.

Natsumi and Satomi shivered, wrapping their arms tightly around themselves. "Gross," Yuki stuck out her tongue and then sighed. She'd have to find something to do until nighttime.

"I can help you occupy your time Yuki-chan!" Shuhei yelled, running over to her and gripping her in a tight embrace.

She let out a loud groan but her reply surprised him, "Fine. As long as you STOP TOUCHING ME!" she yelled, giving him a harsh glare and shoving him off.

"Yay!" he said, throwing his arms up in the air. Then his face became completely serious. "Does that mean I can't run my fingers through your glorious hair? It just looks so shiny…" he trailed of, looking at her red hair with longing.

"No! You cannot cause' that's weird!" she huffed and then began to walk off with the blonde trailing after her.

"Well that was fun. Bye." Satomi waved and started towards the hospital. She stopped by Akito and sent him a glare. "I hope you die very soon Uchiha. I really do." And with that she left without as much as a glance back.

"Wow," Toshiro started to laugh. "She _really_ hates you."

"The feeling is mutual." He said, watching Natsumi as she continued to freak out about her nail.

Minako stood next to her mother and listened to her father complain about the 'dirty trick' she had played on him. She rolled her eyes and decided to interrupt him. "Oh come on dad, it's not like I hurt you or anything. You're just too soft." She said. Then a smug expression came over her face. "Besides, if anyone should be complaining about a dirty trick its Shiro-kun."

The redhead huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm enough of a man to commend you. It was a good tactic." He shrugged and then heard his stomach grumble. "Well I'm hungry.

"MY NAIL!" Natsumi screamed again, sinking to her knees. "I'm not beautiful anymore! I have a flaw! Even if it is for a short amount of time, A FLAW!"

Toshiro watched her oddly and decided now was the best time to leave, so he grabbed Minako and pulled her away in the direction of the ramen stand.

Naruto and Hinata left, deciding that they had spent enough time having fun. Even though he was in a different village, he was still the Hokage. And the Elders kept sending him paperwork to do while he was away. He hadn't touched it since arriving, so Hinata was going to make him sit down and finish it.

Ino and Temari went over and grabbed their daughter's hands, leading them away as well. Their little blondes were already on their way down that path, so it didn't need to be encouraged.

Akito hauled her up by her arm and pulled her to him. Then he brought his hands up and cupped her face. "Will you shut up?! You look fine! If it matters, I think you look beautiful, even with the chipped nail. It's not like I stare at your hands anyways." He said, smiling slightly at her shocked expression.

He slowly removed his hands, afraid she was going to start wailing again. She stared at him with a small blush, "Well…what do you stare at?"

"You know…other things…" he said, not wanting to go into detail.

"Like?" she arched a delicate brow.

He smirked then. "Like the things on my body you stare at."

"What?!" she shrieked, going a dark crimson. She immediately covered her chest, her stomach, and a bit lower. "Why would you stare at those?!"

His eyes widened slightly at what she had just revealed to him. Then his smirk grew. "Why wouldn't I? You're extremely attractive, and I _am_ a man. Although, I didn't know you stared at _that_ much of me." He teased.

She quickly removed her hands and resisted the mad urge to replace them. "I…I don't!" she lied.

He leaned in closer to her, until their noses were almost touching. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Oh wait, that's me. And my killer body." He said, enjoying the shade of red her face had become.

She opened her mouth to protest but knew that he was right. She started feeling light headed from the amount of blood rushing to her head. She did sleep well with him, and he _did_ have a really hot body. "I…" she couldn't even form a sentence now. She felt like a silly schoolgirl. "Shut up," she finally mumbled, gripping onto her skirt and trying to regulate her breathing. She would not pass out from this embarrassment.

He tilted her chin up so that she looked into his eyes. "I never said I didn't enjoy sleeping with you, you know." Then he kissed her forehead lightly, pulling away from her before she could react. "I'm going to go train." He announced, pulling off his shirt and throwing it over his shoulder, heading for his favorite training field. It was hot outside after all, and he felt that he had sweat enough today.

She just stared after him, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Then he was gone and she realized she'd been staring at his butt. The blush returned to her face and she decided it would be in her best interest to get some work done today. Since Toshiro had gone and taken the day off to be with Minako. She sighed and headed towards the Kage tower. Kiba finally sat up, rubbing his head and looking around at the vacant field. "Where did everyone go?"


	17. Stress

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Eleven_

-Stress-

Toshiro shoved the door open, a scowl etched into his features. This was definitely the _worst _day of his life. Work had been murder, _literally_. He had discovered one of the council members had been murdered and impersonated for at least two weeks. And he had had to watch the killing because Natsumi annihilated him on sight. He had only been present for one execution in his whole life. It was the first one he had to do when he became Kazekage. He would never admit it aloud because he didn't want to displease his father, but he didn't like killing people. Even people who were bad and deserved it. The only one who saw his reluctance was his sister, Natsumi. He let out an irritable sigh and went to his office, tossing a bag full of scrolls onto the desk. He went through the hall then and stopped in the living room, watching Minako move hastily around the kitchen.

Minako looked up and smiled brightly at him. "Hi Shiro-kun!" she greeted cheerily, finishing up dinner. Her day had been wonderful. She had started at the Academy, and so far she loved her job. She was fortunate to have a class filled mostly with the kids she played handball with. So they already knew her. It had been slow, since she was just starting out, but she wasn't bothered by it. She had even been asked to tutor some of the kids in kunai throwing. She wasn't as good as Akito, but with the byakugan training she had to undergo as a child her precision was finely honed, even without using her kekkei genkai.

She finished putting food on the plates and set them on the table. Bubbling with happiness over how amazing teaching was, she began to chatter. "I had the best day at work. The class that I'm teaching is full of the sweetest kids. And I was even asked by the director to teach them how to throw their kunai more accurately. Isn't that great?" she asked him as she went back into the kitchen to get their waters.

He didn't reply to her, the happiness that was emitting from her irking him. He walked into their room and shut the door, wanting to splash some water on his face.

She watched him, confused, but then shrugged it off. Maybe he was waiting until they sat down to eat to talk about their days. She finished preparing their waters and went back into the dining room, setting the glasses on the table.

* * *

Toshiro grabbed his shirt and started to pull it off, vest and all. He walked into the bathroom and leaned over his sink, turning on the faucet and leaving it running. He let out a deep breath and cupped his hands together, collecting the cold water and then dousing his face. He stayed there for a while and then pulled down a hand towel to dry himself.

Smelling that dinner was done, he grabbed a black t-shirt and slipped it on, going back out into the living room and then through the kitchen to the dining room. He didn't say anything as he sat in his seat and started to eat the prepared meal.

Minako began to eat as well, glancing at him every once in a while. She wasn't sure what, but something was off about him. She decided to find out. "So Shiro-kun, how was your day?" she asked, since she had already told him about hers.

He just stuffed more pasta into his mouth, not wanting to talk about it. She should know better than to try and pry into other people's business. At least that's what he believed, since his father had always taught him 'If they don't want to talk about it, it doesn't matter.' And so he lived by that. Besides, if someone really wanted to talk about it, they would bring it up themselves.

"Was it bad?" she asked hesitantly. In her family they always talked about their problems with one another. Every day when her father came home from work her mother asked him how his day was. They would talk about it, and then she would tell him about hers. After that she and Shuhei would get to talk about their days. That was how she had grown up, and she liked it. It made for conversation over dinner, and you got to know what was happening in your spouse's life. To her, that was how marriage worked.

"I don't want to talk about it." He snapped, giving her a harsh glare.

She jumped slightly, startled at his response. "But…it might make you feel better to talk about it." She said, wanting to help him in any way possible. He had told her once that talking about your problems helped.

He stood abruptly and slammed his hands on the table. "Well I don't want to talk about it!" he yelled, his glare growing icier. "I just want you to shut up and leave it alone! All you ever do is talk! Shut up and leave me alone!" he shouted, smacking his plate off the table and storming out of the room. She heard the bedroom door slam and some of the things on the mantle shake from the tremor.

Her eyes were the size of saucers and tears were streaming down her face. All she had wanted was to help him feel better. She stood up from the table and walked to the front door. She didn't want to be in the house when he was like this. She shut the door and began to walk down the street.

She didn't understand. Why was he being mean to her when she was just trying to help? She picked up her pace and ran towards the hotel where her family was staying. She needed to talk to happy people, and her family was always happy.

When she ran into the lobby she bumped into a hard figure. Looking up, she was met with the concerned eyes of Akito. "Minako? What's wrong?" he asked, searching her eyes as if he could find the answer there.

She began to cry harder and hugged him around the waist, burying her face in his shirt. He looked down at her in surprise. Not wanting their conversation to be overheard by anyone, he led her to the roof of the hotel.

"What happened?" he asked, voice hardening. If someone had made her cry he was going to kill them. Nobody made his important people cry and got away with it, especially if it was a girl.

She sniffed, looking up into his eyes. "W-well I was making dinner and Shiro-kun came home. And today was my first day teaching at the Academy, so I was really happy about it. So I told him about my day. But he just ignored me and walked into our room." She told him, sniffling once more.

He had a hunch as to where this was going, especially knowing how both of his friends were. But he waited for her to continue, in the slim chance that he was wrong. "And when he came out we just started eating. I could tell that something was bothering him, but I didn't know what. Then I asked him how his day was and he continued to ignore me. When I asked if it was bad he said he didn't want to talk about it. But I wanted to help him feel better…so I kept pushing for an answer. And then he yelled at me…and said that all I ever do is talk…and to leave him alone. Then he hit his plate off the table and into the wall." She said, her tears beginning to flow again.

He tightened his grip on her. How dare Toshiro yell at Minako and say such things to her! It was obvious to Akito that Toshiro was not the right person for his best friend to be with. He wasn't healthy for her to be around. He lowered her self-esteem, and took away her happiness.

Minako was one of the few constants in his life, and he valued her above most others. Well, most others except for one. There was no way in hell he would allow Toshiro to marry his friend if this was the way she was going to be treated. Because he knew Minako. And if this continued she would change completely, just to make Toshiro happy. And he would_ not_ allow that.

He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. Eventually her tears died down and she was better. "Do you want to stay in my room tonight? I can sleep on the floor if you like." He said, wanting to give her a haven from her fiancé.

She shook her head negatively. "No, I don't want Shiro-kun to worry. But…can I stay for a while? Just until I calm down. I don't want people to see me this way." She asked, trying to smile at him.

"Alright." He said. He took her to his room. Once he was sure she would be okay he turned to leave. "I need to go take care of something. Stay as long as you like." He said before leaving. It seemed he would have to kill his best friend after all, just as he suspected he would have to when they were children. But he needed to talk to Natsumi first. So he went to go find her.

* * *

Minako went into the small bathroom in Akito's room and washed her face. She made a face at herself when she saw the way she looked. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face was a little puffy.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom opened. Walking out of the bathroom she looked to see Natsumi instead of Akito, whom she thought had returned, opening the closet and pulling out something that looked like pajamas. She started to unzip her shirt and pull it off when she heard Minako's voice. "Hey Natsumi-chan." She said, still sounding sad.

The Sabaku froze and looked over in utter shock. "Minako!" she gasped, clasping her shirt together with her hands and turning a dark red. "This isn't what it looks like I swear!"

She waved it off and sat down on the edge of the bed, dejected. "I won't tell anyone, I promise." She said in a sigh. "Akito-kun left a while ago, and I don't know when he'll be back. He said he had to take care of something."

"Oh," she blinked and then continued her actions. She wasn't embarrassed to change in front of Minako. They were both girls after all. She pulled her shirt off, revealing something that was a bit odd for a ninja to be wearing. She slid her skirt off and she had on matching underwear. Her undergarments were black lace with a red trim. Natsumi picked up her black silk tank top and moved her arms through the straps, finally noticing that Minako was staring at her oddly. She looked down and blushed a dark red. "I just want to be prepared for anything." She huffed. The pink haired woman pulled on her matching silk shorts and sat down beside Minako. "So…why are you in Akito's room?"

Minako looked down at her hands and began to fiddle with them. "Akito-kun said I could stay here until I felt like going home." She said.

She blinked and crossed her legs, leaning over to her friend and smiling. "Is everything okay? Has Toshiro been a bad boy again?"

"I don't know…I guess. He got really angry and I'm not sure why." She said, trying not to start crying again since she had just fixed her appearance.

"Did you ask him?" she gave Minako a small nudge with her shoulder.

She sniffed, the tears already forming. "No. I didn't get too…he just yelled at me and stormed away. He told me to shut up and leave him alone…" she said, and then she looked up at her friend. "Do you think I talk too much Natsumi-chan?" she asked, remembering his earlier words.

"Aww Minako." Natsumi smiled and hugged her friend tightly. "You do talk a lot but he likes it. I promise. He didn't mean what he said, my mom talks a lot and he loves mommy." She explained, moving a bit away and looking at her seriously. "So he didn't tell you anything?" she asked. Minako shook her head. "Well…Toshiro had a really bad day today…actually he's been having a bad couple of weeks."

"Then why won't he talk to me about it?! I can't help him if I don't know! And I want to help him." She said sincerely. "Do you know what's been going on?" she asked, hoping to finally learn why he had been in such a foul mood.

Natsumi sighed and leaned back on her hands. "Today Toshiro discovered a spy in the council. Usually I handle all the executions because unless it's in a fight, Toshiro feels uncomfortable killing people. And…he's starting to freak out. All the pressure of being Kazekage is getting to him. He doesn't know if he can do it all. So…I've been helping him…because we can't tell dad. He handles most the political aspects and the ninja, while I deal with the war." She stopped then and moved one of her hands to her face, rubbing her forehead. "But today…when we found the spy…I killed him on the spot so there would be no chance of his survival. Toshiro didn't cope well…he's breaking slowly…"

Minako's eyes widened at this new knowledge. She didn't know that he didn't like killing people out of battle. Her heart constricted at how truly kind he was. Suddenly everything made sense. Why he came home tired and worn, why he stayed up late working on documents…he was trying to be as good of a Kage as his father. "I just…don't understand why he wouldn't tell me about it. I'm supposed to help him with these sorts of things, that's why I had to go to all those damned meetings growing up." She said, rubbing her temple in frustration.

Then she looked over at Natsumi. "What should I do? I don't want to cause him any more stress…but I want to be there for him. I…I want him to feel that he can talk to me about these things…"

"Well…he doesn't know that he can trust you yet. I don't think you understand Minako. Here in Suna, failure is not an option. He has to know that you won't go to mom and dad about it. Or tell people he needs a break." She explained, sitting up straight then. "Just…take it slow, do a couple small things for him with his work to show him you know what you're doing and let him slowly come out to you. I know he likes you a lot Minako, but you have to be patient, and if he ever gets mad at you don't run away, stand up to him. He's a lot softer than you think. He may seem like my dad, but his heart is like my mom's. Don't force yourself into it. Wait for him to come to you. I'm sure he will, and if you ever need any help you can always ask me. After all, no one knows my brother better than I do."

It made sense, it would just be a little difficult for her to wait. She was normally a patient person, but if it had to do with something that was important to her, such as Toshiro, her patience wore thin. Courtesy of her father. But she could do it. She _would_ do it.

She hugged her friend. "Thank you Natsumi-chan." She said, and then she stood. "I'm going to head home now. Have fun with Akito-kun." She teased, smiling at her friend as she left.

Natsumi blushed softly and waved, lying back on Akito's bed. She really hoped Toshiro would apologize to Minako. She really was just trying to help and she was so nice. But her brother had almost lost it today. She would make sure that he said sorry tomorrow. She nodded and crawled up to her pillow. Her sand moved towards the light switch and turned off the hotel lights. She clicked on the lamp by the bedside, not wanting to be in complete darkness. She wondered when Akito would come back and grabbed his pillow, holding it against her and curling around it.

Akito came through the door then, his uncaring face in place, and his emotions running wild behind his eyes. He saw Natsumi in his bed and his expression softened a bit. He had gone to look for her, and then, seeing the time, figured she had come to him. That was one of the things he liked about her. The fact that she was always there for him, no matter what.

Wordlessly he pulled off his ninja gear and shoes, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Natsumi." He said seriously. She sat up and looked over at him. He was facing the wall with his back to her. She crawled to the end of the bed and wrapped her arms lovingly around his shoulders, leaning against him now.

"Yes?"

"When someone you care about is hurt…is it right to get revenge for them?" he asked. He needed to know that what he was going to do was the right thing. Because Toshiro was also his best friend and he didn't want to kill him if he didn't have to. Which was a new concept for him, since he got a sick pleasure from watching the life leave people's eyes.

She moved her head a bit to try and get a look at his face. She pressed her lips together tightly and thought about it. If anyone one ever hurt any of her siblings or even any of her friends…she wouldn't hesitate to kill them. "If someone ever hurt someone important to me…I would kill them." She answered, hugging him more tightly.

He brought his hands up and placed them on hers. Then he closed his eyes and laid his head back on her shoulder, letting out a small sigh. It was decided then. He would kill Toshiro. As soon as he trained for a few days and got his plan in order. But tonight he would be with Natsumi. She helped him stay calm, and he would need a clear head to come up with what he was going to do. So for now, he was content with just holding her. After a few moments he pulled away from her. "Let's go to sleep. I'm tired." He said, taking off his shirt.

"Okay," she said softly, watching him closely. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She shut her eyes tightly and then grabbed her head with one of her hands. Something was going to happen. Something very bad. Very, very bad! And it was about Toshiro and Akito. "NO!" she screamed going wide eyed.

He turned then, looking at her face for the first time. He pulled her to him and immediately tried to sooth her, his revenge temporarily forgotten. "What is it?" he asked, looking down at her.

She latched onto him, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bear it if something ever happened to Akito or her brother. "Promise me…" she trailed off, curling into his arms. "Please promise me you won't leave me."

He tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer to his chest in the process. What did she mean by asking him such a thing? Was she afraid that he had found comfort in some other woman? "I'll never leave you." He assured her, burying his face in her hair. "No matter what happens, I want you to know that my life is yours to do with what you will. So if you don't want me to leave you I won't."

She let out a relieved sigh and snuggled into his embrace. Not once had he ever broken a promise to her and she knew with all her heart that he never would. "And mine is yours." she told him quietly, closing her eyes and smiling. She loved his smell, his form, how peaceful he made her. She slept all through the night when he was with her and that was something no other person could do.

He laid them down then, and drew the comforter so that they were covered. "Sleep." He told her, kissing the top of her head. He wanted her worries to be gone. He had enough and didn't think he could handle hers too. After all, he had a lot of planning to do if he was going to kill Toshiro successfully.

She turned towards him, her eyes still shut, and pressed her face against his chest. She wanted to hear his heartbeat so she knew he was there. "Goodnight Akito." She whispered.

"Goodnight squirt." He said, closing his eyes and letting the darkness take him.

* * *

Minako entered the house quietly. All of the lights were off, signaling that Toshiro had retired for the evening. She activated her byakugan, not wanting to turn on the lights and wake him up. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the entire house. He had cleaned everything. The dining room, the kitchen…well, everything except for his study, which was a complete disaster.

She walked down the hall and opened the door. It looked like a tornado had blown through there. Normally it was messy, but it was an organized mess. Now it just looked like he had gotten frustrated and threw a fit. Which she wouldn't put past him. That was when she remembered what Natsumi had told her. Show him that you know what you're doing and that you can help.

So she walked into the room and began to pile up all the scattered papers. When she had them all piled in the center of the desk she paused. Her OCD wouldn't allow for it to remain that way. So she began to leaf through the papers and organize them into stacks based on their subjects. Village affairs, foreign affairs, prisoners, new laws, etc. Once they were all organized she took out a pad of sticky notes and labeled each, so that he would know how she had organized them. Then she picked up the messenger bag he used to carry all of these papers and draped it neatly over the back of the chair.

She looked at the clock then and noticed that it was well past midnight. She groaned at the thought of not getting as much sleep as she liked. Shutting the door to the study, she walked silently into the bedroom. Too exhausted to change into her pajamas, she took off her shoes, skirt, and mesh leggings, leaving her in only her underwear and undershirt.

Then she deactivated her byakugan and crawled into bed next to her sleeping fiancé. Once she got situated, she reached out her hand and laid it over his gently, wanting to reassure him while he slept. She prayed that things would be better in the morning. Maybe she could make him waffles for breakfast. When she heard his parents discussing it she thought it was odd to eat them so late in the day, but immediately craved them. And she made the best waffles. Sleep overtook her shortly after, since she was exhausted from the stress of the day, crying, and staying up so late.


	18. Revelation

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Twelve_

-Revelation-

Akito woke up before the sun rose. He looked down and allowed himself a small smile. Natsumi was so beautiful when she slept. He carefully slid from underneath her and walked into the bathroom.

After a quick shower he got dressed and began to pack his bag. He needed to have plenty of supplies for what he was going to do. Once that was done he walked over to the nightstand and began to holster his weapons. He paused and looked to the bed when he felt eyes on him. "Where are you going?" Natsumi asked, remaining beneath the covers.

"There is something that I need to take care of. I don't know when I'll be back." He said, beginning to sharpen a dulled kunai.

Her eyes went a bit wide and she sat up, one of her shirt straps falling off her shoulder. "What? No, you can't." she told him, her confused gaze turning into a soft glare.

"I must. It shouldn't take too long though. Five days tops." He told her, gaze focused on his task. He knew that after he took Minako it wouldn't take too long for Toshiro to find them. And he was counting on it. He finished sharpening the kunai and put it in his holster.

She got onto her knees, staying on the bed and grabbed Akito's wrists, pulling him to her. "Akito please…don't go…I have a bad feeling about this."

He brought one of his hands up and fixed the strap on her shirt. "I'll be fine. I told you, my life is yours. I will not die without your permission." He said. Then he glanced at the clock. He really needed to get going before he missed the opportune moment.

"Akito." She said sternly as her grip tightened. "It's not about that…I know you are going to be alright. But something bad is going to happen. Please don't leave." She begged, trying to not seem pathetic. She knew how much he hated that.

"It will be fine. I must go before I waste too much time." He said, pulling away from her.

She tried to keep her hold on him, but he was already headed towards the door. "Please!" she yelled, getting up from the bed and following him. She had to say something that would make him stay. "Please…don't leave me…" she bit down on her lower lip and took in a deep breath. She had to stop him or something terrible would happen. "I love you."

He froze with his hand on the doorknob. Had he heard her correctly? No, there was no way he could mistake what she had just said. But he didn't have time to talk about feelings. He needed to leave so that he could ready his trap. Timing was vital in his whole operation.

He looked at her over his shoulder, memorizing her appearance. Her sleep ruffled hair, bright eyes, full lips and trim figure. Then he opened the door and left without saying a word. He could talk to her once he returned from his task.

Natsumi stared horrified at the closed door. She could already feel the hot tears streaming down her face. Hinata was wrong, this was awful. Her heart physically hurt. She gripped her chest tightly as if the action might ease the pain. She sunk to the floor slowly and cried into her hands, she had never felt so worthless and so broken in her entire life. She had done the one thing she was never brave enough to do and was shot down. He hadn't even said anything. Which was probably better than having to hear the words from his mouth. But it didn't make sense! "I don't understand." She sobbed out into the empty room. He had said that his life belonged to her, but what did that mean? "I just don't understand!" she screamed, choking out more sobs.

* * *

The slumbering Kazekage rolled over and yawned, opening his eyes slowly. He had hoped that he would die in his sleep so he wouldn't have to deal with the day. Reluctantly he sat up and leaned forward, placing his face in his hands and groaning. He looked over and saw Minako fast asleep. She looked weary and exhausted. A frown set on his face as he recalled what he had said to her the day before. "I'm so sorry Minako." He whispered, leaning over and kissing her cheek softly. Deciding it was time to get out of bed, Toshiro slid out without disturbing his partner.

He headed into the shower and let the water rain over his body in hopes of ridding anything bad from the day before. Once he was done, he changed into his fresh clothes and then left the room. He remembered what he had done to his office and gave a small yell. He so did not want to deal with this today. The redhead went to his office and pulled the doors open, wide eyed at the sight. Everything was spotless and all his papers were set on his desk in stacks.

A harsh glare set in on his features. She had touched his things! He rushed over, already ready to blow. He leafed through them and slowly began to notice how thorough this filing was. He picked up another stack and fingered through it, noticing the sticky notes. A small smile graced his features, but then it dawned on him. Why Minako looked so tired. A pained looked replaced his peaceful smile, he felt terrible.

He grabbed his papers and slid them into his bag. She really was amazing. With that thought, he headed to the kitchen to start her breakfast. He was going to make sure she woke up to a delicious meal.

* * *

Minako groaned as she was brought from her dream and into the real world. She wanted more sleep. The day could just wait. Her eyes shot open and she bolted upright in the bed. She looked around frantically, and saw that the space next to her was empty. That was when she smelled something coming from the kitchen. Breakfast! She had slept in, and now she was late making breakfast. She hoped Toshiro wouldn't be too angry with her.

Those thoughts in mind, she climbed out of bed and ran into the living room towards the kitchen, not caring that she was indecent. "I'm sorry about breakfast Shiro-kun!" she yelled, coming to a stop at the bar.

The redhead turned around and stared at her oddly, "Why?" he asked, resuming his cooking then. There were eggs and bacon frying and filling the air with a thick aroma. "It's not like it's a big deal. I think it's good if I cook for you every now and then."

She blinked then, shocked at his words. "Oh. I just didn't want you to be angry…"she trailed off, remembering his show of temper the night before. She shook her head. That was for a valid reason, and he didn't appear to be in a bad mood this morning. She decided to drop the subject, since she needed to shower anyways. "Nevermind. I'm going to grab a quick shower while you finish." She told him, waiting for his response. Usually he stopped her from walking away in situations like these, so she would forego having to go through that this time.

"Alright." He said simply, continuing with his work. He stopped then and glanced back at her, seeing she hadn't left. "I'm…sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to upset you." He took in a deep breath then. "I'm not used to people asking me things like that…so please forgive me."

She shook her head. "It's fine. I shouldn't have pushed it. I just thought that that was something married people were supposed to do, but I guess I went about it the wrong way." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"No you're right." He smiled, keeping his back to her. "They are…I just need some practice. But I promise I'll learn quickly."

She smiled at his admission, and walked into the kitchen. Stopping behind him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek, blushing slightly since it was the first time she had ever initiated such contact. "I think you're doing fine." She said, before walking back to their room so she could shower.

He couldn't keep the stupid grin from forming on his face. It didn't take too much longer to finish making their breakfast, and just as he was setting the plates down at the kitchen table she walked out, dressed and ready for the day. "Well here you go." He gestured, sitting down in his seat. There was a glass of water waiting for her with six ice cubes.

"Thank you. It looks delicious." She said as she sat down. She took a bite of the eggs and made an appreciative noise. It was nice to not have to cook for once. "I don't know which I like more. This, or the waffles I was planning on making." She said, readying another bite of eggs on her fork.

He started choking on his food at the mention of waffles. He coughed and reached for his water, taking a large sip. Once his episode was over he tried to regulate his breathing. He stared at her in utter shock, a dark red blush matching his hair spreading across his face. "You wanted to make waffles? Already? Are you sure? I mean, I was thinking we would wait until after we were married." He rambled, trying to deal with this now uncomfortably awkward conversation.

She gave him a confused look. "Why would we wait until after getting married to have waffles? That doesn't really make a lot of sense Shiro-kun."

His odd look only intensified, he was appalled she would say such a thing. She didn't seem like the type of person who would do such an intimate thing as waffles before she was married. "Wait…" he trailed off and felt his heart stop. "Have you had waffles before?"

Her confused look only intensified. "Of course I have. Who hasn't?" she asked. Everybody ate waffles, didn't they? They were as common a breakfast food as pancakes.

Toshiro was stark white now, aside from the red on his cheeks. "You're kidding…right? What kind of sick place is Konoha?!" he yelled, getting up and pacing around with a worried expression. He stopped then and walked towards her, looming over her body. "Who did you have waffles with?"

She looked up at him, wide eyed. Were eating waffles part of some sacred ritual in Suna that she hadn't learned about? "I don't understand…have you never had waffles before Shiro-kun?"

"Of course I haven't." he defended, crossing his arms angrily, since he thought she was avoiding the question. It was probably Akito and when Natsumi found out, everyone would die. "I would never…_ever_ have waffles with just anyone. It's special, only my parents have had waffles in our household and I _assumed_ we would once we were married, since that's what people do when they love each other." He stopped then, going wide eyed at the admission he had just given her.

She stood then, tired of tilting her head back to look at him. "I'm confused. Does eating waffles here mean something different in Konoha? I mean, to us it is just a breakfast food."

He didn't understand why he had to explain it to her. It was as simple as the color blue to him. He cleared his throat and took in a deep breath. "Making waffles…means having sex."

Her eyes widened and a dark blush spread over her cheeks. That explained why he was angry when she had told him she'd had waffles before. "Uh…Shiro-kun, I've never had…sex…before. I only meant eating waffles for breakfast…" she said, completely embarrassed now.

Now he felt stupid _and _embarrassed. "Oh…well…" he stopped and scratched his head, not knowing what to say. "Sorry." He bowed his head in apology. "I don't know why my parents call it waffles. I assume there is some deep rooted meaning. But I've also never had the breakfast waffles either." He admitted, with a sigh.

"I can make them for you tomorrow if you wish." She offered. It was odd that his parents called having sex 'making waffles'. It didn't really make a lot of sense to her. Then she thought back on the whole scene and smiled softly to herself. He cared about her, perhaps more than as just a friend.

He pressed his lips tightly together, he didn't know if that were such a great idea. After all to him, waffles were doing that action with your wife and he would never see it any other way. But now he was determined to find out why his parents called it waffles. Maybe then he could get rid of this image. "Not yet." He said softly. "I don't think I am quite ready to convert."

"Alright." She said, smiling. He cared about her, she just knew it. And the thought made something flutter in her stomach. Something that had been dormant for the past two years. Suddenly she realized that she had fallen back in love with him, in such a short time. But it made sense. She had loved him when he was a boy, and had now come to love who he was as a man.

But how to tell him? Should she tell him before or after they were married? She knew that he cared for her, yes, but love? What if he didn't return her feelings? That was when she remembered what Natsumi had told her. Toshiro had liked her when they were younger, loved her even. But he never did anything because he thought she liked Akito. Well, she would just have to make his love for her return. Somehow. Perhaps they just needed to spend more time together? Other than eating meals and such. Then an idea struck her.

"Would you like to walk to work together? You know…since the Academy is just a ways past the Kazekage Tower." She asked, hoping that he would say yes.

He blinked and slowly nodded. "You really want to walk to work with me?"

She seemed surprised by his reaction. "Of course. I like spending time with you." She admitted, a light blush dusting her cheeks. She didn't think she'd ever blushed so much in her life than when she was around Toshiro, but she supposed she would have to get used to it.

"Well alright. I'd like that. Usually I meet Natsumi halfway though, is that okay? I can tell her to not come tomorrow so it can be just you and I." He said, sitting back down and finishing his breakfast. He hadn't realized how late in the morning it was now, and really needed to be at the tower.

She did the same, a happy grin pasted on her face. "Okay. That would be nice."

When they both finished their meals she took the plates into the kitchen and washed them. Then she went into their bedroom and slipped on her shoes. Once that was done she walked out and met Toshiro by the door. For some reason she just couldn't squelch the happiness that she was feeling at just being able to walk him to work.

They started off, not bothering to lock the door, since everyone in Suna was far too afraid to do anything to any of the Sabakus. They walked, actually talking about trivial things, like the weather and what to eat tonight and how their wedding would be. It was very nice, and Toshiro found himself smiling more and more.

It wasn't long until he stopped and looked around, a worried look crossing over his face. "That's odd. Natsumi's usually here by now." He stiffened and then turned to see his sister walking towards them.

It was something neither of them had ever seen before. A defeated Natsumi. She stopped in front of them and looked at them sadly. "Hey guys…" she trailed off. Her eyes were swollen and she looked as if she had been crying for hours. "Good morning," she attempted a smile, but there was no hiding her broken emotions.

"Natsumi-chan? Are you alright?" Minako asked, worried for her friend's well-being. She had seemed happy enough last night, so Minako wondered what could have happened between then and now.

She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears before they could fall. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired and I got sand in my eyes. It really hurts." She lied, pasting on a fake smile. It looked out of place. Toshiro knew she was lying. It was absolutely impossible for them to get sand in their eyes. But why would she use such a weak lie? That wasn't like Natsumi, she was quick, efficient, and confident in everything she did. Which was probably why Akito liked her so much. Realization hit him.

"Where's Akito?" he asked, looking around. Usually the two weren't too far apart, even in the mornings.

She had to suppress a sob that came with the mention of Akito's name. It felt like her heart had been ripped out all over again. "I don't know…he was gone when I woke up this morning."

Minako's brow furrowed. She knew Natsumi was lying, only because she knew Akito. He would have left her a note, because that's just the type of person he was. So the only thing she could conclude was that something had happened between her two friends. Something bad. She exchanged a worried look with Toshiro. He knew Natsumi better than she did, and Minako wasn't sure whether or not to call her friend on her lie or just wait for her to tell them what happened.

"Well…let's go." Toshiro sighed, his good mood gone. He would have to find out later what happened. He wasn't entirely sure if it had to do with Akito, but considering who his sister was, that was the best bet. They all made it to the Kage Tower in silence and Natsumi went straight inside without so much as a goodbye. The redhead watched her sadly and then turned to Minako. "I wonder what's up."

"I don't know, but I don't sense Akito-kun's chakra anywhere near." She turned to him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly. "I'm sure Natsumi-chan will tell us on her own time. But I need to go so that I'm not late for class." She said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly. She pulled away with a blush. "I'll see you later Shiro-kun."

"Bye." He gave her a small wave and then headed into the tower.

* * *

As Minako made her way to the entrance of the Academy she saw a spot of red and stopped. A smile came to her face then, and she changed directions, walking towards the training grounds next to the school.

"Hi Yuki-chan! What are you doing here? You're not still in the academy are you?" she asked, stopping before the young redhead.

Yuki laughed and smirked. "Of course not. I'm a genin. My team is meeting here before training today. I'm the first one though."

"Oh. Would you like me to wait with you so you're not alone? I have time before my class starts." She offered.

"Sure." She smiled brightly. She was so excited, she loved Minako and now that she had her without Toshiro around to ruin it, it was even better.

"So what's new with you Yuki-chan? I haven't gotten to see you a lot since arriving. Do you like your team?" she asked, wanting to catch up with the girl. She had always thought of her as a little sister, and felt bad that she hadn't spent much time with her.

The younger redhead shrugged. "Yeah they're alright. Not really up to my level though, if you know what I mean. It's kinda unfair that I'm so little, Toshiro, Satomi, and Natsumi all got to be on one team." She grimaced, she didn't know why she was talking about her siblings. She hated them. "But whatever…they are the alpha team of Suna." She glared off.

"Didn't you go with them on that one mission a few days ago?" Minako asked, confusion marring her features.

"No!" she spat out, sending a threatening glare at her sister-in-law. "My stupid dad sent them to go get me. I had it all under control Minako. My dad was teaching me to monitor the sand and I felt this group so I went to go kill them, cause' they were bad guys. And then my stupid brother and sisters showed up, but I had it under control! They just like to steal the spotlight cause' they're selfish!" she realized she was yelling now and tried to calm herself down.

Minako was beyond startled at this news. No wonder Toshiro had been in such a hurry. She understood why Yuki was upset, but knew that it was for the best her siblings had gone to get her. "Well, at least you all made it back okay. I would have been upset if you'd gotten hurt." She said, trying to calm her down.

"Yeah I'm fine. I wish they had gotten hurt though. So everyone could see how useless they really are. Do you know what it's like Minako, to live in a huge shadow?!" she shouted once more. She could feel her tears coming. It was too easy to let her emotions show around Minako.

True to her caring nature, Minako reached out and hugged the girl. "No, I don't Yuki-chan. The closest I could ever come to understanding your pain is trying to live up to my village's expectations. People expect great things from a Kage's child. But I was never able to show them what I can do, since my father coddled me my whole life." She said.

She was a bit reluctant to hug her at first but slowly wrapped her arms around the older sister she wished she had. "Thanks…it's just hard…my brother is like a legend…it doesn't matter that I can do everything he can, he's _still_ better! And Satomi is the goddess of healing and then there's stupid Natsumi," she grimaced. "Who's _so_ beautiful and _so_ fast and _so _talented. I hate her almost as much as I hate Toshiro."

Sadness filled Minako's heart at these words. "I think you are wonderful just the way you are Yuki-chan. And you will find something that you excel at, far beyond either of your siblings. Everyone has that one thing that they are better at then everyone else, you just have to find it."

She stared at Minako and sighed, she didn't know what she was better at than her siblings. They were all amazing and she…was pretty useless. "So Minako, after you're done with teaching and I'm done with training you want to hang out tonight? Just you and me?"

"I would love to Yuki-chan, you know I would. But I have to make dinner for Shiro-kun and discuss a few details with him about the wedding. Maybe some other time okay?" she said, smiling down at her.

Her smile fell from her face and she tried to stop herself from glaring. "Fine. Sure." She said shortly and then walked off. She was so tired of Minako spending all her time with her brother. She'd find a way to get Toshiro to go away.

Minako watched her walk away and sighed. What was with these people and their mood swings? Not wanting to think further on it, she went inside the building and prepared for class.


	19. Manipulation

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Thirteen_

-Manipulation-

Akito entered the village stealthily, not wanting to be seen by anyone. He had spent the day before perfecting a new jutsu, and now that it was flawless, he could begin his plan. First things first, he needed help from the inside. And the best person to do that was the youngest Sabaku, Yuki. He had seen her looks of resentment that she sent towards her siblings, especially Toshiro. With the proper choice of words he could get her to help him kidnap Minako without so much as an argument.

He went from rooftop to rooftop, looking for the girl. He didn't really know where she liked to hang out, so finding her would be difficult. With a resigned sigh he realized that he would have to search the whole village, or guess at her whereabouts and hope that he got lucky.

That was when he saw her. She was in a training field by herself. Typical. He landed behind her softly and silently. When she whirled to hit him, having been caught off guard, he easily evaded her fist and put her in a hold similar to the one Kakashi had used on Naruto during the bell test. "Calm down. I need to talk to you." He said in a monotone.

Yuki blinked, a bit surprised the Uchiha had sought her out. Then her confused look twisted into a glare. This was her sister's Uchiha, who catered to her needs and fed her overly sized ego. "What?" she growled, jerking her hand away with a bit of difficultly.

"How much do you hate Toshiro?" he asked, already guessing at the answer.

Well that was an odd question. "Why?" she wondered, arching a suspicious brow.

"I am going to destroy him for what he's doing to Minako, and I wanted to know if you wanted to assist in bringing him down." He said simply. All he had to do was play on her hate for her brother, and once he was done with her, he could kill her so that she wouldn't be able to tell anyone what had happened. Simple as that.

She went wide eyed. No way! Akito hated Toshiro as well? And he wanted to do something about it. Her stomach dropped and a suddenly she felt terrible. She was actually contemplating on killing her brother. But it soon vanished. He was too good for his own good. And Minako would then be free from him and she could spend more time with her. "What do I have to do?"

* * *

Akito traveled through the streets on his way to Toshiro's house. He stopped suddenly and hid himself in the shadows when he saw Natsumi walking down the street with Ken. His brow furrowed in anger. What the _hell_ was she doing with that loser?!

They walked closer to where he was hiding and stopped suddenly. Apparently Ken had seen something youthful that a shopkeeper was selling. Akito strained his ears, wanting to hear what they were talking about.

"Oh Natsumi-chan! I want to see your beautiful smile! Here! What of this?" he turned around and offered her a stunning exotic flower. She stared at it and took it slowly, turning it around as she examined it.

"It's lovely Ken but…really I just want to go home…I'm very tired." She said softly, her aura a very dark blue.

Ken grabbed her hands with his, making her go a bit wide eyed. "My dearest, elegant, invigorating Natsumi-chan, where has your smile gone?" he leaned closer, only making her look uncomfortable and nervous. She slowly pulled her hands from his grip.

"Ken thanks and all for trying to make me feel better but-" she stopped, going wide eyed as he leaned into kiss her, shouting something about the medicine of youth.

Akito threw a rock then, hitting Ken in the side of the head harshly. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. Using every ounce of speed he possessed, he disappeared before he could be discovered.

The Leaf Jounin yelled out, rubbing his sore head. Natsumi looked around warily, that was really weird. She glanced up at the spot where Akito had been but turned away, cagily tending to Ken's need.

He dashed towards the mansion, angry at himself for almost completely blowing his cover. But the thought of watching as Ken kissed his woman angered him, and he had to put a stop to it. When this was all over he was going to kill Ken. Ruthlessly. A person should only have to be warned so many times before it sunk in. Natsumi belonged to him and nobody else.

He saw the house come into view and smirked. He sensed Minako inside the house, and Yuki coming up on it. Things were going to work out nicely.

* * *

Minako hummed to herself as she got the ingredients out for the night's dinner. Her wedding was coming up soon, and she was beyond excited. She would be married to Toshiro, her love since childhood. That two year break didn't count.

She began to chop the vegetables that she was going to boil for the night's dinner. Suddenly she felt Akito's presence in the house, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Hi Akito-kun! Do you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure Shiro-kun won't mind. Although he will have some questions for you about Natsumi-chan." He didn't answer her, and she thought the silence an odd one, even for the Uchiha. "Akito-kun?" she asked, turning to face him fully now. There was something wrong with him. He didn't look like himself.

"Minako, you're coming with me." He said, eyes bleeding into the red form of the sharingan.

She backed towards the counter, nervous. "Where?" she asked, slightly afraid.

"I'm taking you away from Toshiro. He isn't good for you. And when he comes to get you, I'm going to kill him." Akito said, walking around the bar slowly, like a predator stalking its prey.

She activated her byakugan in defense. "No! Akito-kun, I don't want to leave." She said, readying to run away from him. She knew that he was stronger than her, but she was still faster. If she could get to Toshiro, then she would be safe. Before she could use her flash step, her feet were covered in sand, all the way up to her knees. She looked from her feet back to Akito, who had a triumphant look on his face. Then Yuki walked into the kitchen, standing a bit behind the Uchiha.

"Yuki-chan?! What are you doing?!" the ebony haired woman asked incredulously.

"Akito's right Minako. Toshiro is bad for you. He's mean and commanding. He deserves to die. He's too selfish." She smirked, letting the sand crawl further up Minako's legs. "Your speed was easy to predict, the only person to ever escape it was my sister, and she's way faster than you. But don't worry, we're not going to hurt you." She smiled then, hoping her older friend would understand. "We'll take care of Toshiro and everything will be perfect!"

Hearing this, Minako understood that there was no way she would be able to escape. Thinking quickly she took the knife that she had been holding and cut open the back of her hand. It began to bleed, the crimson liquid staining the floor. This way, Toshiro would be able to find her better.

Akito was before her in an instant, causing her to fall asleep using his sharingan. When she fell limp, he caught her. He didn't care that she had cut herself. It only served to further his plans along. He bent over and picked up the bloodied knife, laying it on the island where Toshiro would be sure to see it. Then he reached into his kunai holster and took out the note he had written, laying it next to the knife. Once that was done he turned to the young redhead.

"Let's go. We need to get through the desert before we're found." He ordered, turning to leave.

"Then we better move fast. My brother and sister use the desert like a radar. They can sense everything in it, no matter how far from Suna it is. My dad developed it." She informed him, following close behind and watching Minako's sleeping face. She felt kind of bad, but this was for the best right?

"I will make a few clones and send them off in different directions. That should buy us a little time. How fast can you travel?" he asked, sneaking up on the inner wall. He wasn't as fast as Natsumi or Minako, but he _was_ fast. And if Yuki couldn't keep up then he would just have to kill her sooner.

"Pretty fast…but if you get farther I could always use my sand to teleport more quickly." She said, trying to pick up the pace.

"Good." He put a cloaking jutsu on them then, one he had learned from Kakashi. It would be harder to be spotted that way. Then he formed three sets of clones. Without another word the entire group sprinted off, each heading in different directions.

Akito allowed himself a triumphant smirk. Things were working out just as he had planned. Now all he had to do was get Minako to the little cave he had discovered between Suna and Rock. He didn't want to make it too difficult for Toshiro to find them, because then he would have to wait. And he _hated_ waiting.

* * *

Toshiro walked in, closing the front door behind him. "Minako! I'm home!" he called, going straight for his office to drop off his bag. When he didn't receive a reply he slowed. He set his messenger bag in his chair and walked out into the living room. "Minako?" he called again, a new wave of worry washing over him. He went into their bedroom and saw her school things lying on the bed. So she _had_ been home. But he didn't sense her anywhere near. He walked back out and went into the kitchen, seeing the food that was lying out and the stove that was still on. He went over and shut it off, and when he looked down his heart stopped. He lowered to the floor and touched the crimson liquid that was staining their tile. He stood quickly, rubbing the blood between his fingers. It was still relatively fresh. Finally he noticed the note that was sitting on the island next to a bloody knife. The redhead wiped off Minako's blood on a towel and picked up the paper, skimming over the words.

_Toshiro,_

_I have decided that it is not in Minako's best interest to marry you. She will come around eventually. Until then though, I have taken her with me. Come find us. If you dare._

_-Uchiha Akito_

The redhead took in a sharp breath and crumpled the paper. For the first time in his life he was so angry that he couldn't even see. He couldn't believe Akito. He was actually angry with his best friend! His glare shifted up from the paper and he threw it aside. He didn't really understand why Akito was doing this, but now Natsumi's demeanor somewhat made sense.

Toshiro ran into his room and grabbed his gourd that was in one of the corners waiting to be used. He pulled it on and fastened it quickly. He shut his eyes and tried to calm down, he felt betrayed by Akito. He knew Minako would be alright, but he was still worried. He had a bad feeling about this, but he couldn't just stay here. He had to find Minako. His sand picked up and then he vanished, appearing at the gate and looking around. He felt around with the sand, trying to find the odd component of blood. Once he located it he took off to the side and saw some of the red droplets. Akito wasn't in the desert, but at least he had a trail, and he _would _find them.

* * *

Minako opened her eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the darkness. When she tried to move she groaned. She had no chakra, which only meant that Akito had placed seals on her. Great. Sometimes she hated how thorough he was in his planning. And her wrists were bound, along with her legs. So even if she did find the strength to move, she wouldn't be able to.

Akito walked into her line of vision then. Seeing that she was awake, he crouched before her, a sadistic look in his eyes. "Sleep well?" he asked, mocking her.

She ignored him and looked around at their hiding spot. A cave. Typical. That was when she noticed Akito was alone. "Where's Yuki-chan?!" she asked, worried about the young girl.

"Don't worry about her. She's keeping watch. Once she becomes useless though, I'm going to kill her." He said, a bored expression on his face.

She glared at him. "Shiro-kun will come for me." She said.

He chuckled darkly. "I plan on it. Because when he does, I'm going to kill him."

Her eyes widened. "No! You can't do that!" she yelled, worried about her love.

"I can and I will. He has to pay for what he's done to you. I told you when we were kids that if he ever hurt you again I was going to kill him. And I _always_ keep my promises." He said. Then he stood and walked away from her, leaving her there to cry in her misery.

She watched the mouth of the cave, waiting for when he would arrive. She knew he would stop at nothing until he had gotten her back. She only prayed that when he arrived, he would be able to defeat Akito without killing him.

She began to cry harder at the thought of losing either of her friends. And poor Yuki had been manipulated into helping Akito. Minako hoped the girl wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. She would never be able to forgive herself if anyone was hurt for her sake.


	20. Enmity

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Fourteen_

-Enmity-

Toshiro dropped down to the forest floor, staring at the ground and the faint trail of red that was becoming lesser the farther from Suna he got. He walked forward, keeping his eyes downcast. He froze suddenly and his gaze shot up. "No way." His wide eyes slanted into a glare. He could feel familiar sinister sand. "Yuki?" he asked no one and then took off, closing in on his sister's power. Had Akito stolen her as well? But that didn't make sense, he would have felt Minako too, unless her chakra was gone. And no way would Akito allow Yuki to have free reign.

He stopped in the trees and peered around, seeing his sister standing in the entrance to a cave. Her arms were crossed and she looked angry. This was too weird. He darted forward, his sand surging forward and wrapping tightly around his younger sister. "Yuki what are you doing here?!" he yelled, towering over her frustrated form.

"Let me go!" she demanded, trying to force his sand off her, but he was more experienced with the grains than she was. The sand picked up and lifted her from the ground as he continued into the cave.

"You are in _so_ much trouble Yuki, where is Minako?" he asked shortly, giving her a small disapproving glare.

"I'm not telling you anything!" she screamed loudly. It didn't take long for the two to make it into a fairly large cavern. Toshiro looked around and spotted his woman lying on the floor across the way next to a large boulder. He ran forward, leaving Yuki behind but still confined.

"Minako!" he yelled, wanting to see if she were conscious or not.

She looked up at him, relief and worry filling her eyes. "Shiro-kun! I knew you would come for me." She said.

Suddenly Akito was standing on the boulder that Minako was laying against, arms crossed and an evil smirk on his face. "It's about time you got here. I was beginning to think I overestimated you." He said, looking down at his angry friend. It was good that he was angry. It would make the fight to come so much better.

"Akito! Are you out of your mind?!" Toshiro yelled, taking a step back and then a deep breath. He needed to focus, there was something off about his friend. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, more calmly now. His father always told him to keep a level head, because if he was angry he might hurt the people around him and he didn't want to risk hurting Minako if his emotions ran wild.

"Isn't it obvious? You aren't healthy for Minako. You lower her self-esteem, and you treat her like a servant. I will not stand by and allow you to hurt one of the only people in my life who has shown me love." He said.

Toshiro was absolutely dumbfounded. "WHAT?!" he yelled, feeling his anger spike. He tried breathing again and quelled the fire that erupted. "Akito, what are you talking about? There's like three things wrong with that statement. One, I do _not_ lower her self-esteem, she's good and she knows it. She just hasn't had the opportunity to show how great she really is to everyone else. Two, she's not a servant. _I_ clean my house. Not her. And three," he stopped, a bit pissed that he had to inform his friend of this. "Tons of people love you, you're my best friend! I care about you!"

Akito simply stared at his friend, disbelief clearly showing on his face. "Our friendship has nothing to do with this. Minako has always been there for me, no matter what. This is my chance to do the same for her."

"I _couldn't_ be there Akito! You know that! You're going to destroy everything if you do this!" he explained, suddenly what was going to have to happen became evident. Akito was going to fight him, and this time he really wasn't going to hold back. Because this wasn't a spar. Toshiro looked off and then focused on his misled friend. "I didn't realize how deep rooted our blood was…I guess I should have seen this coming, right?" he laughed sadly. "Our father's enmity seems to run pretty deep."

"Hn. If you want to bring that into this go right ahead. I will make my father proud today." The Uchiha said.

He had a really bad feeling about this. Was this what it felt like when Natsumi had a premonition? It was probably worse. He couldn't imagine how terrible a feeling could be to make her break into tears. Without another word, Toshiro lowered his stance and held up his hands, the sand from his gourd began to pour out and spread around him. He couldn't lose. Too many terrible things would happen if he lost. And he knew what losing meant this time. It meant death.

Akito remained standing on the rock with his arms crossed. The only indication that he was prepared for the fight was that his eyes bled to red. He would win this time, no matter what. He would finally prove that he was better than Toshiro. And he would show Minako that she could do better. She could find someone better.

Toshiro smiled, how many times had this showdown happened? He watched Akito closely, making sure he never looked into those threatening eyes. He was actually afraid of the sharingan, he didn't like being predicted, and he didn't like genjutsu. He would not allow himself to be caught in one. Then, trying to lighten the mood despite the situation, Toshiro laughed. "I didn't realize I'd have to taunt you to get you to attack."

"Trust me, you'll know when I attack." Akito said, smirking at his friend's tactics. He would look back on this day fondly in the years to come.

"Is that so?" he smirked, his plan had worked. Sometimes Uchihas were just too cocky for their own good. As they had been talking Toshiro had sent his sand slowly and minuscule so that it would go undetected along the sides of the wall. Once it had all gathered behind Akito it combined and shot towards his back, wrapping around his torso tightly.

When the sand constricted slightly, Akito's form disappeared in a puff of smoke. In a flash he was behind Toshiro, kunai drawn. It was never really him on that rock to begin with. He had just wanted to take extra precautions in case Toshiro did something out of the ordinary, since this was a fight to the death.

The sand arose behind Toshiro and moved to attack Akito, but it was just a distraction that worked. As Akito watched the sand's movements and evaded them, the sand master pulled his fist back and slammed it right on Akito's jaw, sending him across the cavern and into the wall. A huge crack crawled up the wall and a couple of large rocks fell from the ceiling, breaking when they hit the floor.

Akito stood and shook his head. Then he brought his hand up and rubbed his jaw. "You've gotten better." He said, smiling slightly. Then it left his face as he made some hand signs, too quickly for the eye to see. Suddenly a huge dragon made out of fire shot out of Akito's mouth towards the redhead. He knew that it would be blocked by sand, but it was hot enough and strong enough to almost make it through the barrier. When the sand lowered from protecting its master Akito was gone.

Minako watched the fight, horrified. She knew they weren't going to stop until one of them was dead, and it was all her fault. Yuki was still being held by some of Toshiro's sand, but Minako wouldn't be surprised if he let her go soon so that he could have better use of the grains.

Yuki stared, wide eyed, at the battle. She was absolutely blown away by these two. They were on a whole other level. She'd never really seen her brother fight before. In fact, she'd never seen any of her siblings fight, but this was just amazing. And Akito was definitely everything Natsumi had told her and more. She tried to move beneath the sand but it had solidified and was keeping her in place. She was angry. How was it her brother was so talented that he could hold her captive and fight the Uchiha at the same time?

Toshiro had just narrowly avoided another blast of fire, and could feel the strain on his sand from the heat. He didn't know how much it could take. He needed to get in close range to be able to fight Akito. He pulled up his gloves and ran forward, maneuvering through the barrage. Once he reached one of the fallen rocks he punched it with all his might, puncturing the solid boulder. Fire wouldn't be able to get rid of this. Using his inherited strength, Toshiro lifted the boulder and spun around, letting the giant rock fly towards Akito with deadly speed.

Akito dodged the boulder with ease and drew a kunai. He sent some chakra into it and sent it flying towards the redhead's chest. Halfway towards its target it began to crackle with the electric chakra that it had been charged with, the air around it hissing with the power of the lightning.

The sand shield stopped it just in time, dark jade eyes focused on the lightning that was trying to connect with flesh. "Well…that's interesting." He smiled. When the kunai went dull the sand dropped it into Toshiro's hand. He flipped it up and then looked over at Akito. "That's pretty cool Akito." He threw the kunai back and charged at his friend. It was time to end this. Or at least try to. The sand, which was scattered around the makeshift arena, picked up and began to swarm, creating a vicious sand storm that made it impossible to see. Toshiro leapt up and lifted his leg, drop kicking the spot he knew Akito was.

Akito leapt into the air and grabbed Toshiro's leg. Using what momentum he had, he swung the redhead around quickly, sending him flying towards the opposite wall, not too far from where Minako was located. He landed on the other side of the cavern, watching closely to see if Toshiro had connected with the wall or had been saved by his sand. He couldn't fully tell because the miniature sandstorm was still raging.

Luckily, the sand had formed around its master and slowed the speed he was falling. He hovered in the air for a moment and then dropped down, staring at Akito through the storm. This was not going to end quickly. Small sand senbons formed in the chaos masked by its swirling counter parts. Toshiro brought his hands together and pushed them forward, launching the projectiles at the Uchiha. They flew through the air, and since they were made of sand his friend wouldn't see them coming. A loud yell erupted from Akito as a few of the senbon impaled his skin.

Akito grit his teeth in frustration. He couldn't believe that Toshiro had gotten another hit on him, when he had yet to hurt the redhead. But there was light in this situation. His sharingan had discovered what the sand would do based on Toshiro's movements. This way he would be able to dodge some of his friend's attacks better.

In a burst of speed Akito rushed at Toshiro, intent on using taijutsu against him. He was far more skilled in it, since he trained with his father, Kakashi, and Neji. And he knew that Toshiro mostly relied on his sand, only using his strength for punches and to break things. Plus his speed was far more superior, and he would be able to predict the redhead's movements this way, so that he could focus better on the sand. When he appeared before Toshiro he sent a punch straight at his friend's startled face.

Toshiro fell back and slid for a bit of a distance. He sat up, his face chipped from the blow and cracking up to his eye. He cursed and got up as quickly as he could. Akito wasn't as fast as his sister, but he was pretty darn close. This was bad, he couldn't do damage with his strength if he couldn't land a hit. The sand moved towards him and became denser. He would have to catch Akito and stop him so he could get in another hit. One more punch in the right place should knock him out and then he could drag his sorry behind back to Suna.

Seeing the sand's approach, Akito disappeared again, only to reappear beside Toshiro. He kneed his friend in the stomach, causing the redhead to bend over from the force. Then he aimed a powerful kick at him, sending Toshiro up in the air, too quickly for the sand to catch up. Akito jumped into the air then, and performed a mixture of his father's Lion's Barrage and what Natsumi had done to Minako at the Chuunin Exams on his friend, sending him falling back down to the ground and landing roughly. As Akito made his way downwards, he went to land a final kick, just as Toshiro had attempted to earlier.

The Kazekage grabbed Akito's foot before it could make contact and gave it a painful twist, successfully twisting the Uchiha's ankle. He threw him back with as much force as he could muster, sending him far off for the time being. Toshiro struggled to get up, finding it extremely difficult to breathe. He felt his chest and could tell at least five ribs were broken. The pain caused him to wince and the sand surrounding his sister slowly fell from its prison. Once Yuki dropped to the floor she ran over to Minako and hoisted her up from the ground and closer to her. "Are you okay Minako? I didn't want to tie you up or anything it was just to get Toshiro." She explained.

"Please, untie me and take the seals off Yuki-chan. I won't interfere in the fight, but when it's over I want to be able to move." Minako said, her eyes focused on Toshiro. He didn't look too good, and she had a feeling that everything would end soon.

The younger redhead looked over at the fight as well, mostly at Akito. Would he get mad at her? He looked pretty focused on her brother. When her eyes fell on her older brother she felt a sudden sadness. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, an expression she had not once seen on his face. She…didn't like it. Slowly she started to untie Minako and threw the ropes aside. This idea was starting to seem really bad. What would she do if Toshiro _did_ die?

Minako shook off the ropes and looked at the seals on her arms. They were simple enough. She quickly removed them, feeling her chakra and strength slowly beginning to return. "Thanks Yuki-chan." She said, giving the girl as much of a smile as she could manage. Then she looked back over at the fight. Akito had gotten up, and suddenly she could feel the electricity in the air. Something big was coming, but she didn't know what.

Toshiro held his hands up, his sand wrapping around him ready for anything Akito could dish out. He could feel the change in the air as well, and he knew it was bad. But he couldn't do anything until he saw it.

Akito winced slightly at the pain in his ankle. He would still be able to use taijutsu, but it wouldn't be as quick or as effective. It was finally time to use the technique he had been working on. He gathered as much chakra as he could to his center. It had taken him years to develop this technique, and it would be Toshiro's downfall. The element of surprise was on his side. He lowered his stance, closing both his hands into fists. He extended his pointer and middle finger out on his right hand and held it close to his chest, with his left hand behind him. The tips of his two fingers began to spark and light up similar to that of his chidori. He could feel the current running through his body. He was going to do it. Then his whole arm started to generate the electricity, drawing every eye with its brightness. He slowly moved his arm back and then thrust it out, aiming straight for Toshiro's heart.

As he watched the lightning travel towards his shocked friend, his eyes widened in realization. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his best friend. I mean, Minako was also his best friend, but Toshiro understood him on a whole new level. And, even though Toshiro had hurt Minako, she seemed to be okay with it now. At the last second, he moved his hand to the left, just barely missing his friend's heart.

The defensive sand had swarmed around the lightning, trying to block it, but the sheer impact, heat, and force exploded straight through the barrier, shattering the grains into crystal clear glass. The lightning shot straight through the redhead's shoulder and the agonized cry that filled the cavern made everyone stop breathing. Toshiro grabbed his bleeding shoulder tightly, trying to soothe the pain.

The petrified sand flew off in all directions with amazing speed. Yuki's sand shield surrounded Minako and herself, saving them both from any injuries. A huge, sharp chunk imbedded into Akito's left shoulder, sinking deep into his tissue.

It was then Akito's turn to let out an agonized scream. He ripped the glass out of his shoulder and looked to see if Toshiro was okay. His eyes widened as he saw his friend begin to fall. He used the last of his strength and ran towards his friend, catching him before he hit the ground. He sank to the ground, landing on his knees. "What have I done?" he whispered.

"Something stupid." Toshiro murmured with a small smirk. He couldn't feel anything anymore and his vision began to blur. "My friend…" he said softly, moving his hand from his wound to Akito's left cheek. "She's never…going to forgive you…" he managed out, his eyes closing. His hand slid off, leaving a bloody hand print on the Uchiha's perfect face. The redhead fell limp in Akito's arms, and he was gone.

Akito's eyes were pained as he looked at the unconscious face of his best friend. Suddenly a drop of water landed on Toshiro's face, sliding down his cheek. It was then that Akito realized he was crying. For the first time in his life, he, Uchiha Akito, was crying.

"Shiro-kun!" Minako screamed, running over to them. She fell to the ground and began to weep, bringing her hand up and into his hair, caressing his head gently. Her love, her only love was dead.

Yuki was absolutely shocked. Her brother was dead. Toshiro was dead. Akito had killed her brother. Tears formed in her eyes from the sadness swelling in her heart. She felt so guilty. She had murdered her brother. She approached them slowly, only growing more horrified at the sight of her blood-stained sibling. That's when she saw his chest slowly struggling to move. "He's still alive!" she shouted.

Minako looked up at Yuki and then down at Toshiro. She was right, he was still breathing. "Yuki-chan, can you use your sand to teleport us to the village? I don't yet have enough strength to flash step, and Akito-kun is injured." Minako said, her voice surprisingly calm.

The girl stared at them wide eyed. She had never traveled that far even by herself. "Um…I can try." She said nervously, placing her hands on Minako and Akito's shoulders. She shut her eyes tightly and started a breathing technique. She would have to focus, Toshiro was counting on her. The sand around them picked up, a bit more chaotic than anything they had seen with Toshiro or Natsumi's. It swirled around them, and they were gone in the blink of an eye.


	21. Devastation

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Fifteen_

-Devastation-

Natsumi shut the heavy hospital door behind her. She had just finished working on a patient who had been poisoned by his daughter on accident. She had gotten into their ninja cabinet and thought it was something used for cooking. The woman sighed, children were so stupid sometimes. But luckily it was an easy fix. She stopped and picked up her clipboard from a nearby receptionist's desk. She had her white lab coat on with her initials over her left breast pocket. The pink haired medic looked over her schedule and stuck her hand in her coat pocket. There weren't too many patients to see today. The village had been pretty quiet for a while and most of the shinobi came back safely from their missions.

"Natsumi-sama," someone called from behind her. "We have a girl in the burn unit and Satomi-sama is busy. Could you come and help?" a nurse jogged up. She didn't look too worried, so it probably wasn't too bad.

"Sure thing." She smiled, following the nurse. Suddenly she came to a halt, her eyes wide with terror. Something bad had happened. It was her premonition coming true, she looked around worriedly. Akito hadn't returned had he? She shut her eyes tightly, blocking out the calling nurse. She tried to feel for her brother and when she picked up nothing her heart stopped. "No." she breathed out, ripping her coat off and throwing it at the nurse. "I have to go!" she yelled, tears were already forming in her eyes as she ran down the hallway.

Satomi burst out from a corridor and locked eyes with her sister. "What's wrong?" she demanded, having sensed her sister's dismay. She pulled off her white coat as well and threw it to the side.

Sand swirled around Natsumi, forming her gourd on her back. "Something terrible." She shut her eyes tightly and grabbed her sister's hand. They were gone before they even reached the end of the hall.

* * *

Gaara leaned back in his chair, looking out into the street. Sakura had decided it would be a good idea to have lunch with Naruto and Hinata. They sat in an outside café, having 'simple' conversation. He _hated_ simple conversations with anyone besides his beautiful wife. The redhead tensed instantly. He grabbed Sakura's hand and stood, silencing the annoying blonde.

"Something is very wrong." He informed them. "Natsumi has been seriously disturbed." He pulled Sakura up with him and let his sand take him away to where he sensed his daughters.

Having watched their friends disappear, Naruto stood as well as Hinata. He picked her up instantly and flashed stepped towards the gates of the village. He could feel his daughter's presence there, and for some reason he felt that something was wrong with her.

* * *

Natsumi and Satomi appeared in front of the gates. The younger twin ran forward and searched around for anything. A bit off, the sand became denser, forming Yuki, Minako, Akito, and Toshiro. "There!" she pointed towards the group and took off ahead of her sister. She was beside them in an instant, her face going stark white with trepidation. "TOSHIRO!" she screamed, shoving them all aside and grabbing her brother tightly. "Toshiro!" she sobbed out with a terrible cry. Tears were streaming down her face now as Satomi came up, going wide eyed. She didn't even move, for the first time there was a definite emotion on her face. Fear.

The older twin kneeled down by her sister, placing Toshiro's head in her lap and caressing his face gently. Natsumi only grew worse, she was hyperventilating now. Someone had killed her brother! She leaned over him, trying to see if there was any way to save him. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and immediately her sand was up in defense forcing Minako, Akito, and Yuki further away. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" she shrieked, curling over her brother protectively.

Her eyes scanned all of them, finally focusing on Akito. He looked wounded and torn, and then she noticed the bloody hand print on his face. She searched him and then glanced down at her brother's wounds, placing two and two together. Her eyes widened, the psychotic look on her face even worse than before. Her premonition and his weird behavior before he left now made sense. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" Natsumi screeched, pushing off from the ground and lunging at Akito.

Strong arms looped around Natsumi's waist and held her back. Akito was just barely out of her reach, her hand stretched out to try and get him and her sand strained out slowly, close to her hand and appearing more like a claw. "Natsumi." Gaara said flatly, keeping his grip on her, focusing all his power on suppressing her sand. It was going crazy and there was only a look of rage on her face.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed, choking on her sobs. "I HATE YOU AKITO! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" But she obviously didn't want an answer. She was completely broken. Everything in her body was numb. Her heart was so broken she didn't think she'd ever even find it again. The only man she had ever loved had killed her only brother.

Pain so strong he couldn't even describe shot through Akito's chest then. He had never thought that Natsumi would ever say that to him. And it hurt. Suddenly Toshiro's words made sense. It was Natsumi, not Minako, who would never forgive him. In that instant he realized that he had singlehandedly ruined his life.

Sakura was next to her oldest daughter, aiding in the healing that needed to be done before they could move Toshiro. They needed to strengthen his heartbeat just a little bit.

Shuhei appeared next to the group then, having sensed his sister nearby. He had been talking to one of the Anbu guards about Suna's defense. He just didn't understand the point of an inner and an outer wall. Why not just have one big one the way they did back home? But when he saw the scene before him, he was shocked.

"Mina!" he yelled, running over to where his sister was and steadying her. She looked weak, and there was a ghastly cut on her left hand. Naruto and Hinata appeared then. Hinata gasped and buried her head in her husband's robes. She couldn't bear to see death, especially accompanied by so much pain.

"Shiro-kun's still alive. Please save him." Minako said, teary cerulean eyes trained on her fiancé.

"We need to get him to the hospital now. He must be stabilized." Sakura said, tone completely serious. She didn't know what to feel about her baby being in such a condition, but she knew that she had to keep her head or she would increase her chances of losing him. And she would _not_ lose another son. "Natsumi, if you do not calm down I will not allow you in the operating room to help with your brother. Gaara, can you transport us?" she asked, meaning herself, Satomi, Natsumi, and Toshiro. They were the only ones who could save him now.

He nodded, still holding onto his daughter who's hateful, tear filled glare never left Akito. The sand around the five condensed and suddenly they were all gone, leaving the others out in the desert.

Naruto picked up Hinata again and flash stepped towards the hospital. Minako stood shakily and did the same with her brother. Akito just disappeared, deciding that he wouldn't be welcomed at the hospital in the first place.

Yuki stared at the spot her family had been. She had been left behind and left out. Her brother's condition was her fault and she couldn't do anything to help, since she hadn't quite gotten a grasp on healing jutsu.

* * *

"Satomi, go find Minako and see if she has any of that balm. It will help him heal while I try and regulate his breathing and steady his heartbeat." Sakura ordered without looking up from her son.

"No." Satomi said, defying her mother. She would not leave her brother's side until he was better. Gaara stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched the process with a worried expression. His only son was about to die. He pressed his lips hard together and shut his eyes tightly. No, Sakura and his daughters would save him. They were the best healers, Toshiro just had to live.

Natsumi stood at her brother's head, all ten fingers pressed against his skull. She was keeping his brain activity active. If he slipped into a coma it might all be over. She felt her tears again, dripping down and hitting her brother's unconscious face. "Please Toshiro," she sobbed, "please don't leave us."

Satomi placed her hands over her brother's rib, letting her mother handle his shoulder. Slowly his ribs formed back solidly and he began to breathe more regularly. The pain and shattered bones must have constricted his lungs.

"Gaara, please get the ointment. We can't heal everything. His body must heal some of it on its own." Sakura said, a worried crease between her eyebrows. The damage to his shoulder was severe. She knew that it must have been lightning that damaged it, but it was unlike any lightning jutsu she'd ever seen Sasuke do. And she knew what lightning wounds inflicted by him looked like, that was for sure.

"Mom. Why don't you have faith in your son?" Satomi glared. She hated getting help from anyone outside her family. "Natsumi, just pour some of your chakra into him and let his body heal." She ordered. Natsumi nodded and shut her eyes, stopping her tears for a moment and letting her large chakra reserves empty into her brother.

The older redhead stepped forward and looked over his son, his body twitched and Toshiro's eyes flashed open with a loud gasp. "Oh God!" he yelled, wincing in pain. He looked over at his shoulder and then at his family, who was leaning over him. He took a deep breath and focused on his shoulder. "Dang…my shoulder's killing me. Can I get a massage or something?" he laughed hoarsely. "What does a Kage have to do around here to get some decent service?" he smiled. Sakura watched as slowly, the wound was healing itself.

Natsumi smiled brightly, tears glistening her eyes once more. "Toshiro!"

"Toshiro!" Satomi mimicked her sister, her eyes watering as well.

Sakura leaned down and buried her face in her son's neck, finally allowing her pain and worry to show through her tears. "My baby." She said, kissing his cheek. She had been so worried that she would lose him. Then she placed her hand over what was left of the wound in his shoulder and aided him in healing it.

"Mom," he sighed, but had a big smile on his face. "I'm not a baby." He told her, laying his head against hers.

The twins huddled around him, joining their mother in her need to be near him. Gaara watched them, a small smile playing on his face. He was happy, he wouldn't know what to do if his son had died. He stepped forward and with his action his twins moved aside, giving him some room. Toshiro looked up at his dad and gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry dad. I lost…I wasn't the strongest. I hope you're not mad."

A pained look crossed the older sand master's face. "I could never be mad at you Toshiro…I just want you to be safe." He said softly, placing his hand on his son's head. "I'm so proud of you. For coming back."

Toshiro let out another joyed laugh, "Well it's a good thing you married mom who's an excellent medic and had Satomi and Natsumi. They really are the greatest." He gave them each a look of appreciation.

Sakura smiled and held her son closer to her. "Alright. Alright." She sighed and reluctantly pulled away. "Toshiro needs to rest. We'll come check on you later." She told him, giving her daughter's a look. They both kissed Toshiro on either side of his face and followed their mother out.

Gaara remained still and smiled for his son. "I'm really glad you're okay. Don't worry, I'll handle everything while you are recuperating."

"Thanks dad." The younger redhead smiled and shut his eyes gratefully. Gaara left then, wanting to give his son plenty of time to heal from his grave injuries.

* * *

Akito paced the roof of the hotel, gripping his head. He didn't understand this feeling. When Natsumi had said she hated him his entire world had shattered. It was as if he had no reason to live. But that didn't make sense. He knew that he cared about her, and her opinion, but he didn't know that he cared that much.

He thought back to the morning he had left to begin his task. She had tried to stop him, talking about some premonition that she had had. He stopped when he remembered what else had been said, and what hadn't. _She loves me_, he thought, dropping his hands. She had said she loved him and he hadn't said anything!

He sank to the ground in defeat. Why did he care? It wasn't like he knew much about love anyways. But, he did treat Natsumi differently. He cared about her feelings and thoughts. He catered to her every whim. He comforted her when she was upset. He enjoyed her happiness and her smell. He liked to run his fingers through her hair. He liked her scar that showed the world that she was his.

_Not any longer,_ a dark voice in that back of his mind said. So why did he care? He took off his gloves and looked at the bracelet that he still wore on his right wrist. As he had gotten older and grown the bracelet had gotten smaller. So he had learned how to weave it the same way she had and had added a navy blue section to the bracelet with the Uchiha symbol on it. That way it would always fit him, so that he never had to take it off. He took off the bracelet and examined it. He didn't deserve to wear this bracelet anymore, just as he didn't deserve to live.

Suddenly he remembered what he had told her a few nights ago. His life belonged to her, and it was obvious that she no longer wanted him in the world of the living. It hurt, to know that he had had something so beautiful, so bright, and had destroyed it.

He became sad as he thought about what dying would mean. It meant that he would never get to hear her laugh. Never get to see her smile. He would never get to hold her at night and stroke her head. He would never get to tell her how he felt. How he felt. It was then that he realized he was in love with her. She completed his being, made him whole. But it was too late to tell her that. There was no way she would want to speak with him ever again.

He remained crouched on the roof, and clutched his head once again with his hands. He had become his father. He had sworn never to become like his father, but it had happened anyways. His grip in his hair tightened as he thought of what that meant. He was a monster.

When he felt another presence on the roof he didn't move to acknowledge it. If they were there to kill him for what he had done then so be it. He deserved it anyways. He hoped it was slow and painful. That was the type of death he deserved.

"Toshiro is going to be just fine." A deep monotone voice spoke. "Even when he woke up he cracked a joke."

He stayed where he was, processing the information. His best friend was okay. But he was too miserable to feel anything more than slight relief. "I know it doesn't mean anything to you…but…I'm sorry." He said in a broken whisper.

"I know." Gaara said simply. He watched the young Uchiha's back closely, feeling the dark aura that was radiating off of him.

His body began to shake with the shock of everything that had just happened and his silent sobs. His mind was so chaotic right now, he couldn't make sense of anything. Why wasn't Gaara killing him? Why wasn't he being yelled at? Told that he was a failure and a monster? The elder redhead's behavior was puzzling him, and it didn't help any that his sanity was slowly slipping. He could feel the darkness creeping up on him, beckoning him to give up. Was this how his father had felt when his clan had been annihilated? His elder brother killed at his own hands?

Gaara let out a deep sigh. "You know…I'm sure Toshiro wants to see you." He told the Uchiha boy. He didn't know why he wasn't mad. He hated Uchihas, more than anyone. But the look on his face and the fact Toshiro was still alive had a small alert going off in his head, and then the look on his face when Natsumi had screamed at him. He'd never seen anyone so broken, and it reminded him of himself. He had done plenty of things he regretted. Tried to kill many of his friends and family. "It might make him feel better to see you." He tried to coax. He knew there was something strong between the two boys.

"No." he said firmly. It wouldn't do to open up newly closed wounds in seeing his lifelong friend before he died. It would be better if he just cut his bonds here. He stood slowly then, and brought his hands down from his head, his right one still gripping the bracelet. He knew what he had to do. "I want you to kill me." He said, staring out at the setting sun. If he was to die he wanted something beautiful to be that last thing he saw in the living world. Especially if he couldn't see Natsumi.

The redhead's forehead scrunched into confusion. "What?"

He turned and faced the older man then, his dark eyes devoid of emotion. "Kill me. Before I hurt someone else. Because I will, even if I don't mean too. It's what monsters do." He said.

"You're not a monster Akito." He said, his expression unreadable as always. "You just made a stupid choice. You wouldn't be the first and trust me…you won't be the last."

Pain entered his forest green eyes then. "Yes I am! I have become my father!" he exclaimed, voice giving away part of his inner turmoil.

Gaara sighed once more. The boy didn't understand that the fact he even cared about his actions and was having a break down was what made him different from his father. "What is the real reason you want to die?"

His expression calmed a bit, but the pain in his eyes only increased. "She doesn't want me to live anymore. I promised her that my life was hers, but she no longer wants it. And I always keep my promises." He said. He couldn't even say her name for fear of how he would react. "And…I do not wish to live any longer if she doesn't want me."

The redhead rolled his eyes. _Women_, always complicating things. "Fine. If you really want to die I won't stop you." He turned away from him then and started walking off. He stopped when Akito didn't follow. "Well come on. The only way I can legally kill you is in an execution. So…you're under arrest for attempting to murder a Kage." He informed him, watching him closely.

Akito nodded slightly, understanding where the redhead was going with this. He followed Gaara to the jail cell he would be holding until the execution. Before he entered it, he held his hand out to the former Kazekage. "Here. Please give this to Natsumi. And tell her…tell her I'm sorry." He said, handing him the bracelet.

Gaara stared down at the odd thing, it looked vaguely familiar. "Fine." He nodded, placing it in his pocket and shutting the cell behind him. It locked automatically. "The execution will be the day after tomorrow. I have to file some paperwork on it." He turned away from the cell and headed out of the room, sparing the depressed Uchiha one last glance. He pulled out the bracelet as he went up the stairs from the cells and sighed. It was that silly bracelet his little girl had made for Akito when they were young. He was actually surprised that he still had it. He put it back, intent on giving it to his daughter.


	22. Enlightenment

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Sixteen_

-Enlightenment-

Minako opened the door to the hospital room and shut it quietly behind her. After she had heard that Toshiro was okay, Sakura had healed the cut on her hand. The two women had talked then, and Minako had told the elder medic everything that had happened. Once they were finished her father had gone and gotten some ramen for her to eat, so that her chakra would return sooner. She had also gone by the house and showered, wanting to wash off the filth of the past few days. She wasn't allowed to see Toshiro yet anyways, because they were still monitoring him.

She walked over to the bed where he was sleeping and sat in the chair beside it. Reaching out, she grasped his hand lightly and began to run her thumb along the back. "I'm sorry. Akito-kun can be very stupid sometimes. But then, you already knew that, didn't you?" she said softly, knowing that he couldn't hear her since he was out cold.

Her face contorted into one of pain for a moment, and she laid her head on the bed next to him, letting out a choked sob. "I thought I was going to lose you Shiro-kun. And when I was waiting in the lobby, all I could think was that 'I hope he makes it. I hope he makes it so that…so I can tell him…that I love him.'" She said into the sheets.

She sat up then and smiled slightly at his sleeping form. "But now that you're okay, I guess I'll just have to find the courage somewhere to tell you when you can actually hear me."

Before anything more could be said the door was opened and Sakura came in. "Minako, I need to speak with you in the hall, if you're finished." She said.

"I am Sakura-sama. I'll be there in a second." She told the older woman, who left the room shortly after.

She stood and looked down on his peaceful face. Smiling at him, she leant over his form and kissed his forehead lightly before turning from him and leaving the room.

A small smile formed on the redhead's face. "So…" he said to himself, slowly opening his eyes. "She loves me."

* * *

"When was the last time you saw Yuki?" Sakura asked her, worry marring her brow.

"When we came back and arrived at the village gates. Why?" Minako asked, confused.

Sakura sighed. "I can't fine her anywhere. And Natsumi can't sense her."

Minako froze. Yuki was gone?! She must be upset about what happened. She placed her hands on the elder medic's arms in reassurance. "I'll see if I can find Yuki-chan. So don't be worried if I'm gone for a while."

"Okay. Don't do anything stupid. I don't need to almost lose you after just getting my son back." Sakura said with a nod.

Minako left the hospital then and expanded her chakra, trying to sense the young redhead. When she didn't feel anything she jumped up to the roof and looked around the village. If Natsumi couldn't find her, then that meant she had left the desert. Leaping from roof to roof, Minako didn't stop until she was on the outer wall. She expanded her chakra once more, hoping to pick up something. She faintly felt Yuki, but it was moving away from her. She needed to act quickly.

Minako flash stepped in the direction that Yuki was heading, stopping just before she would meet up with the redhead. Then she ran behind her, not knowing where the girl was heading. She stopped in a field of wildflowers, saying nothing.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked, glaring at Minako.

This situation would have to be handled delicately. "I just came to make sure you were okay Yuki-chan. I didn't see you at the hospital or anything. Shiro-kun is fine by the way, he's just resting." She told her. If she could get Yuki to start talking, she could figure out why the young girl had run off.

"Who cares." The young girl stated hatefully, but obviously she had been crying recently, because her eyes were red and there were water stains on her face.

"Yuki-chan, why did you leave?" she asked, confused.

Her glare increased. She really didn't want to talk, but she found the words tumbling out of her mouth, along with new tears, "Because no one wanted me."

Blue eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean? Of course we want you. We love you."

"No! Everyone wants Toshiro. When they all came running they came for him and they left me! They know it was my fault…they just know it and they want nothing to do with me. They're the perfect family! And I'm just a blemish!" she screamed.

"I want you Yuki-chan." Minako said softly. It was breaking her heart to hear this, what Yuki thought of herself and her family.

Emerald eyes glistened for just a moment but suddenly dulled, filled with rage. "You're a liar! I know you care about Toshiro more! Everyone does! He's my mom's precious little boy! Natsumi is the only person he trusts with everything! Satomi loves him! And my dad just eats it up how great his son is! I just want to disappear and let them be happy without me! Cause' they will be!"

"You're right. I do love Shiro-kun. But I love you too. You've always been like a sister to me Yuki-chan. If you do leave, I won't be happy. And I don't think your family would be either." Minako told her.

"You don't know them like I do." She spat out, turning away from her.

"Maybe I don't. But I know myself, and what I said is true. I will miss you if you leave." She said, taking a step towards her.

A wall of sand shot up between them. "I don't care."

"If you didn't care, then you wouldn't be running away."

"I'm tired of being around my family. They're all a bunch of hypocrites. They say they love everyone and our family is the strongest bonds we have, but it isn't. All I feel is hate." She said, sitting down and beginning to rip up the flowers from the field.

"Yuki-chan…were you upset when you saw Shiro-kun get hit with that lightning?" Minako asked, trying a different approach.

The girl stiffened and ceased her actions. "No."

"Really? Because I think you were. I saw your face. You say that you hate Shiro-kun, but you were upset when he almost died. You love him, even if you won't admit it. That right there is a perfect example of how strong the bonds of family are." Minako explained.

"It was my fault," she said quietly. "Akito used my jealousy to make me hurt my brother…and it worked…all because of me."

"Nobody blames you Yuki-chan. All you really did was help capture me, Akito-kun was the one who hurt Shiro-kun. And if, by some weird chance, your family does blame you, I will always be there for you. I don't blame you for anything that happened." She said.

The redhead glanced back, "Really?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes. I told you Yuki-chan, you're like a sister to me. And it is a big sister's job to always be there for their younger siblings." Minako said, smiling at her.

She remained silent after that and just cried. She felt awful for what had happened to Toshiro, but she was so happy when she heard he was alright. She really did love her family, even though they were really weird and loved each other too much. "So Toshiro's okay?" she asked. Minako nodded with a small smile.

"And Satomi's not mad?"

"Not any madder than she normally is." The woman laughed.

"My mom and dad?" Yuki questioned.

Minako slowly took a step forward and when the sand wall didn't stop her she took a seat beside her friend. "Your mom is fine. She's just worried about you. She doesn't know where you've gone."

A small smile began to form on the youngest Sabaku's face. "What about Natsumi…I've never seen her…like that before."

"Well," Minako began twiddling her thumbs together. "I don't really know. I haven't seen her since but I do know that she was trying to find you."

"I see…" Yuki sighed, when she had seen her sister's face she had seen herself. All that hatred from over the years, growing and festering. And it wasn't pretty. "I've never seen my sister look ugly before…it was scary…" she told Minako sadly. She didn't continue on to tell her it had helped her see just how ugly she had been over the years. Not on the outside but on the inside.

Minako wrapped her arms around Yuki and pulled her closer in a tight embrace. "I have, but it wasn't that bad, and it was when we were a lot younger." They sat there in silence for a while, until Minako let out a sigh. "So…are you ready to go back now?" she asked.

Yuki smiled up at her and nodded. "Yeah. I want to see my brother."

* * *

"Yuki is MISSING?!" an angry redhead sat up in his hospital bed and winced. He grabbed his side, which was still sore from the healing session.

"Yes. But everything's fine now. Minako went to go get her." Sakura said, trying to get her son to lie back down.

He went wide eyed, "WHAT?!" he yelled, refusing to be placed back. "Are you insane!? They're going to get attacked! They could be attacked, killed and raped! No…they _will_ get attacked and most likely raped and killed!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at her son. "Calm down Toshiro. They'll be fine. Minako is a competent shinobi, and Yuki isn't exactly helpless. Have some faith in them."

"Listen woman! Every time a female of importance leaves a village something _terrible _happens. Like when you went on that mission and came back half dead to dad in Konoha!" he said beginning to count off on his fingers. "Then when you left again the baby was killed, when Minako took Satomi and Natsumi outside the village they got _kidnapped_, then when we left _again_ Natsumi was taken! And then when Minako storms off to get her head straight and leaves the village she gets attacked! Can you _not_ see the pattern here!?" he practically shouted, getting out of bed with a bit of difficulty. "Why didn't you send dad to do it?!" he demanded, grabbing some black pants and pulling them on. He took off the hospital gown and then struggled with a black t-shirt. "Whatever it doesn't matter, I'm going after them myself." He told her, slipping on his ninja shoes.

Sakura crossed her arms and glared at her son. "You were asleep, I couldn't find your father, Satomi can't sense Yuki's sand, and Natsumi is having an emotional breakdown. I have duties to perform here, and cannot leave the village. Minako volunteered to go, and since she can sense people's chakra pretty well, I let her. I will allow you to go after them, but only because I know there is no point in trying to stop you." She said. Then she put her hands on her hips. "And if you _ever_ speak to me that way again Sabaku no Toshiro, I swear I will put you in the hospital myself." She said, before storming out of the room.

He rolled his eyes, sometimes his mother was such a drama queen. He sighed, but hey she _was_ the Queen after all. He stopped, thinking a bit and furrowing his brows. "Natsumi's having an emotional break down?" he asked no one. He shook his head, knowing he would have to find out why later. He needed to find his sister and make sure Minako was alright. Just using the sand around him he vanished in a small swirl. He appeared out in the desert, beginning to walk since his body ached. They weren't in the desert, he sighed, and he didn't think he could travel so far. Then his eyes darted towards the East. He felt two familiar auras, he disappeared once more and dropped to the ground, seeing Yuki and Minako. He was so relieved that they were alright. "Yuki!" he smiled, heading towards her. "I'm so glad you're okay." He said happily. Suddenly he felt his legs go out, he knew he should have taken it a bit easier on the teleporting.

Yuki went wide eyed as he brother fell forwards, she ran to him and steadied him the best she could. "Toshiro are you alright?! What are you doing out of bed, you look pale!" she gasped, tears forming in her eyes. Why was he here if he was still recuperating?

Grateful for her support he rested a hand on her head and gave her a loving look. "I was worried about you, when I heard you were missing I came out to find you." He explained. Tears were streaming down the young girl's face now, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her brother.

Toshiro laughed and tried to comfort her. "Don't cry Yuki. Everything is alright, everyone is safe."

"I'm sorry," she whispered out. Despite what Minako said she still thought it was her fault.

"It's okay Yuki, I forgive you." He said simply, making her go wide eyed as she stared up at his honest face. She started crying once more and that was when the older redhead picked her up and held her in a tight hug. "It's okay Yuki, I promise."

Minako watched the whole exchange with a smile. She knew that the Sabakus would never hate anyone in their family for the mistakes they'd made. It just wasn't done. She walked up to them and said, "Let's go home."

Toshiro nodded, and the trio made their way back to Suna.


	23. Deception

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Seventeen_

-Deception-

"What do you mean he's going to be executed?! God, why does this always have to happen when we come to Suna?!" Naruto yelled, pacing the Kazekage's office. Everyone was present, save for Natsumi, and had just found out about Akito's execution. The blonde Hokage stopped pacing and turned on his friend, who was sitting behind the desk.

"Can you at least tell me why he's going to be killed?" he asked. He would have to tell the people of Konoha something, especially Sasuke. Naruto held in a groan at that thought. Sasuke was going to be _pissed_. Beyond pissed. He'd probably go psycho again and come to Suna himself to kill Gaara or something, _again_. And that was the last thing Naruto felt like dealing with.

Gaara just watched Naruto freak out. It was kind of amusing, but more annoying than amusing. "Yes Naruto. He attempted to kill a Kage. Remember?" he gave him a look then.

"But Dad!" Toshiro blurted out, slamming his hands on the desk where his father was sitting. "I'm alright. I'm okay, no harm done!"

"Listen to the boy!" Naruto said, placing his hands on the desk as well. "We could just tell everyone that it was a spar. Sasuke and I do that all the time even though I know he's hoping to kill me." Naruto told them. He knew Sasuke would never really kill him, their bond went too deep. That's why he understood what had happened between Toshiro and Akito.

"Not after what he did to my son and my daughter." Sakura said darkly. She refused to forgive the Uchiha, and she would _not_ let history repeat itself.

Satomi stood up beside her mother and glared down the opposing side. "I agree. The Uchiha should die. Toshiro wound up in the hospital! And Natsumi has been crying for days. She hasn't even left her room! Anyone who makes my sister cry deserves to die." She growled.

"She's my sister too!" Toshiro pointed out, going head to head with Satomi. They glared at one another, pushing their foreheads against each other's. They locked hands and began a battle of strength, something that was not easily won between the two.

"But I'm her twin and that stupid idiot destroyed the most precious thing in the world!" Satomi hissed.

Minako stood there, shock written clearly all over her face. Akito was her best friend. The thought that he would die made her extremely sad. She understood why Gaara was doing it, but she still thought it was wrong. After all, she knew her friend. He was probably beating himself up right now for what he had done. "But Gaara-sama, I'm sure Akito-kun is sorry for what he did. I agree that he deserves to be punished, but not killed." She said, giving the redhead a pleading look.

"I'm not the one who wants to kill him." Gaara said firmly, glaring at the whole group. "He told me to execute him." This made everyone stop and stare at the old Kazekage.

"What?" Yuki blinked, totally dumbfound.

"You're kidding right?" Toshiro and Satomi said together, both with different expressions. Toshiro looked saddened, but Satomi looked exhilarated.

"I understand." Minako said. It all made sense now. And although she wanted her friend to live, she respected him enough to grant him his wish. But that didn't change how upset it made her.

"Why are Uchihas so damn stupid?!" Shuhei yelled to the whole room.

"Shuhei. Stop saying that word." Hinata said tightly.

"He can use that word if he wants to Hinata-chan. The situation calls for it." Naruto said, wiping his hand down his face. This new knowledge would only upset Sasuke more. Sometimes, he really hated being the Hokage.

Gaara held up his hand to silence the group. "Be quiet. I'm tired of hearing you all speak." He said simply, giving Sakura a loving look, showing that only she was excluded from this statement. He stood slowly and headed for the door, stopping only to give Sakura a tender kiss. "I'm off to see him." He informed them all.

Both Minako and Toshiro followed after him, "Can I go?"

"Can we see him?" they asked nearly the same time.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to see either of you." The older redhead said with a small smirk and slammed the door, leaving them all in the office.

"What?! Of course Akito-kun wants to see me. We should follow him." Minako said, turning to Toshiro.

The eldest son looked a bit more reluctant. "I dunno…" he trailed off, despite the fact he was twenty-one he was still afraid of his dad. "It might not be such a good idea. And what if Akito really doesn't want to see us?"

She crossed her arms defiantly. "That's too bad. After what he did he owes it to us. And I want to see him."

"My dad won't let us see him Minako." Toshiro tried to explain.

"And I so don't care." Satomi said with a bored tone, walking out with her mother right behind her. They had better things do than argue over a death that should happen.

"We could always sneak in once he's left. You'll be able to sense that using your sand right?" she asked.

Naruto and Hinata had left the room by now. He had a few letters to write and send off as soon as possible.

"And if he doesn't leave?" he arched a brow, crossing his arms and looking at his fiancé.

"Uh…well let's just hope he does." She said, smiling unsurely.

A bored expression crossed his face. "So…we're going to sit there…and hope he leaves before the execution? Do you know how unlikely that is?!"

"Oh my God!" Yuki yelled, throwing her hands in the air. "I'll lure him away, okay?" She mumbled, rolling her eyes and walking out of the room.

"Oh…" Toshiro blinked and stared at Minako. "That's a pretty good idea."

"Come on Shiro-kun! Let's go!" Minako exclaimed, grabbing his arm and leading him from the room. All that was left was Shuhei, who scratched his head in confusion. What was going on? Suddenly everything that had been said caught up to him, and he ran out of the room. "I'll help you Yuki-chan!" he yelled, going to catch up with her.

"Then hurry up Shuhei…jeez." She said, actually smiling as the two disappeared off to find the cell Gaara was keeping Akito.

* * *

Shuhei ran up to the stoic redhead just before he was about to go through a secure looking door near the bottom of the Kage Tower. He tapped him excitedly on the arm. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey Gaara!" he said excitedly.

They were by the entrance to the basement of the Tower, and Shuhei was really trying not to be creeped out. It was all dark and stuff down there. Completely depressing. But it was his job to distract the old Kazekage, and distract him he would. Plus, Yuki was watching, and he refused to fail in front of her.

The head Sabaku looked down at the boy and gave him an irritated look. "What?" he spat out.

"YUKI-CHAN'S DYING!" he shouted out, making the redhead go wide eyed. The younger girl tried not to sigh.

"Where is she Shuhei?" Gaara demanded. What on earth could have happened in the past five minutes that had Yuki injured?

"This way!" he pointed and ran off, leading the redhead off in the wrong direction.

Once the coast was clear Minako made her way to the door that led to Akito's cell. She exchanged a look with Toshiro, and then went inside. They had agreed to each see him separately, just to be on the safe side. That way the other could keep watch.

She saw Akito, sitting on the floor and facing the side of his cell, twirling a kunai. This surprised Minako, since she would have figured that Gaara would've taken away all of his weapons. The fact that he hadn't only meant Akito was serious in his decision for death.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, not looking her way.

She walked up to the bars and placed her hands on them. "I wanted to speak to you."

"Why?" he asked harshly. He was preparing himself for her hurtful words. The words saying that she too, hated him.

Minako only grew angry with him. "Because you're my best friend, and you're going to be executed tonight, that's why. Why else would I want to speak to you?"

He looked over at her then, shocked. "What? Why would you still want to be friends with me?"

She sighed. "Because, Akito-kun, we've been friends for too long to let some mistake ruin it now." She explained.

"Look at what I did Minako! I almost killed the man you love, and don't deny it because I can tell, I betrayed the both of you, I lied to their little sister and used her, and I broke Natsumi's heart. I see no reason as to why you would want to remain my friend." He explained, counting each thing off on his fingers.

"Akito-kun, those few mistakes are not enough to make me hate you. Shiro-kun is all right, as is Yuki-chan. Natsumi-chan will need some work, but that's a given. Plus, you're sorry. That in itself is enough to make me want to continue to be your friend."

His face contorted into one she had seen once before. The one that made him look like a lost little boy. "I'm sorry." He whispered, staring past her.

"I know. And I forgive you. I just don't understand why you want to die." Minako said, glad they had made some headway.

Pain flashed through his eyes quickly, leaving them emotionless. "She doesn't want me. She's my only reason for living and she doesn't want me." Was all he said.

"I understand. But Akito-kun, that doesn't mean you need to die." She said.

"Yes it does. I'm a monster." He said, voice flat.

She sighed once more, knowing that she wouldn't be able to change his mind. "I don't believe you are a monster Akito-kun, but I will respect your decision. Just know that no matter what you do, I will always be there for you. As your friend."

He stood up then and walked over to the bars of the cell. "Thank you Minako. For always believing in me, even when I didn't deserve it." He said softly. They hugged then, or as good as you can hug with iron bars between you.

Minako pulled away from him, tears in her eyes. "Bye Akito-kun." She whispered, before walking back towards the door. She was glad that they had resolved that before his execution. Now he would be able to die with a bit more peace. She went through the door and wiped at her eyes before looking up at Toshiro. "You can see him now. I think he's in a better mood."

The redhead nodded and quickly shut the door behind him. He made his way down the concrete steps and stopped when he saw his friend behind bars. "Hey Akito."

Akito just sighed. "I should have known you would come too." He said, looking sideways at his friend.

"I just wanted to see you, if you want me to leave I will. I don't want to cause you anymore stress," he smiled, it looked eerily like Natsumi's, but then again they were brother and sister.

Seeing the smile, Akito's face broke out into a frown. "Stress? You think I'm stressed?! I'm beyond stressed. I kidnapped my best friend, almost killed you, and now Natsumi hates me. I think I've reached full on depression."

"And so you think having yourself killed will make it all better? Do you _really _think that's going to solve anything?" Toshiro asked, taking a step forward and glaring down at his friend. "This is a low blow to me Akito. You have the nerve to show me up and beat me with some awesome move and now you're wallowing around in your own self-pity. I thought you had a little more pride than that." He said crossing his arms. He wanted to see if the man had any of his Uchiha egotism left.

Akito's face brightened a bit. "You really thought it was awesome?" he asked hopefully.

The redhead had to stop himself from falling back in shock. Out of all that, that was what he had retained. But he let out a laugh and nodded. "Dude you shot lightning at me! I've never even seen that before, it was amazing! And then how the impact of my sand shattered to glass! I have to say, it was the best way to go down."

"I know! I wasn't expecting it to do that. I even got impaled through the shoulder. Hurt like hell though. How's yours?" he asked, looking at Toshiro's shoulder. He wanted to make sure that he hadn't caused any permanent damage to his friend.

The Kazekage unbuttoned the top of his shirt and slid it off his shoulder, revealing an oddly shaped scar. "Nothing too bad, it hurt pretty badly but my mom and sisters are really good at healing. My mom says it should shrink down after a while. Though it's nothing compared to that one Natsumi got-" he stopped his sentence and went wide eyed. Crap. What a slip up.

At the mention of her name all previous happiness fell from Akito's face, replaced by a pained one. He sank onto the makeshift cot in his cell and stared at the floor. He remembered the last time he saw her. Her tearstained cheeks, threatening glare, an angry crease between her eyes, everything. She looked attractive even when she was hateful. And he would never get to see it again.

"Akito…I don't want you to do this." Toshiro said, taking hold of one of the cell bars. "No one does…not even Natsumi."

"You don't know that. You didn't see her face when I brought you back, or hear what she said." He told his friend sadly.

"It doesn't matter." He glared, "No one wants you to die. Do you think it will make her feel better if you're no longer of this world?"

"If she never wants to see me again, the best way to do it will be to die. And I want to die. I deserve it." He said in acceptance.

Toshiro leaned forward, resting his forehead on the cold metal. "Did she actually say that she never wants to see you again?"

"No, but I know that's what she's thinking. You don't understand Toshiro, before I left, she told me she loved me. And I didn't do anything about it. I didn't even say anything. And then I went and tried to kill you. Who would want to see that type of person again?" he asked, giving his friend a confused look.

"My mom." He said simply, getting a shocked look in return. "When our parents were little my mom was in love with your dad. My dad even tried to kill my mom and then when they were older…I guess it was when they were in their early twenties your dad came and tried to kill my dad. They fought, my dad won and had promised Konoha they could come get him. So my mom, Naruto, and that annoying man Kakashi came to get him. But Sasuke tried to kill my aunt so my dad was going to execute yours…my mom…tried to free your dad and in the process fell in love with mine. Though…he tried to kill her more than once and was the only thing standing in the way of her and Sasuke. But I guess…things happened cause' she fell in love with him and when she told him he didn't say anything back and he just let her go back to Konoha. So maybe…you just need to talk to her? After all, girls always say things they don't mean when they're mad. My mom does it all the time." Toshiro smiled happily.

Akito processed this information. He had only been told that in his father's attempt to win Sakura's heart back she had been stolen away by Gaara. Although, now that he thought about it, it made sense as to why his father had said that. Because of his damnable pride. "Maybe…but it doesn't matter. I know she won't forgive me, she isn't like you and Minako." He said. Then he looked back down at the ground in shame.

"And I am sorry by the way. I didn't mean to…well actually I did but…well…you know what I mean."

"Akito. It's okay." Toshiro laughed, "I already forgave you the moment you hit me with that lightning and I didn't die. You think I didn't realize you redirected it? Come on, gimme a little credit, I am the Kazekage after all." He smirked proudly and held out his palm. The sand around him flew into his hand and formed a key. He slid it into the cell and went in, sitting down by his best friend. "And you're right about Natsumi being different than us. She loved you so much…and that's the only reason it hurt her so badly. But I can tell you something, love doesn't go away that easy, so I wouldn't go throwing your life away just yet."

"You may be right, since I don't know much about love, but it doesn't change anything. My life is no longer my own anyways. I told Natsumi that it belonged to her. So until she says that she doesn't want me to die, that is what I want to happen." He said, resigned to his fate.

Toshiro sighed and nudged his friend. "Well…I'm sure something crazy will happen. After all, nothing ever goes smoothly for us does it?"

Akito smirked at this. "Nope, although things would be better and less complicated if they did. I'd be surprised if something doesn't go wrong before the whole thing is over."

"Well I'll be sure to be surprised right there along with you. I have to go now, I have some _important_ matters to attend to. You know, planning your death and all." He rolled his eyes and stood, holding his hand out to the Uchiha. "You'll always be my best friend Akito…and my favorite sparring partner."

He stood as well and shook the redhead's hand. "Same. I don't think I've ever felt more accomplished in my life then when I punched you in the face." He joked, smiling slightly at Toshiro.

The Kazekage laughed and nodded, "I've never been hit in the face before so you're the first and probably the last." He smirked and then pulled his friend into a firm hug. Before things could get awkward he broke away and left the cell, not bothering to lock it. "See you later, _Uchiha_." He snickered and disappeared up the steps.

"Bye Sabaku." The ebony haired man replied, going back over to his cot and sitting down. Now that that was out of the way he could prepare himself for what was to come.

* * *

Gaara slammed the front door behind him as he got into the confines of his own house. When he saw Shuhei next, he would kill him. That little punk was too annoying to be left alive. All day he had been sent on a wild goose chase to try and find Yuki, who was supposedly injured. But when they found her, after a sequence of terrible events and annoying loud blonde boys, she was sitting in Ino's flower shop, helping make some of the table arrangements for Toshiro and Minako's wedding. "He dies next." The redhead vowed, shaking his fist in the air and then stuffing both his hands in his pockets. He blinked and felt something. Pulling it out, he saw the bracelet Akito had given him, and then his instructions came back to mind. He looked upstairs, faintly sensing his daughter in her room, a place she had been for the past few days since Toshiro had been healed.

Slowly, Gaara made his way up the steps and, still not one for knocking, walked into Natsumi's room. She was laying with her back to her door on her enormous king sized bed. Her room was fairly simple, with light blue walls and a white trim, over her large circular bed hung a canopy net, enclosing her to herself for the time being. Her father looked around and stared at one of the shelves on the wall, filled with pictures of everyone they knew. There was an empty space and across the room was a shattered frame, hiding a picture beneath the debris.

The redhead pulled the white canopy back and sat down on the edge of her bed. The girl didn't even move, or so much as give him a glance. "Today Uchiha Akito is going to be executed." He told her, seeing her slight tense.

"So." She spat out angrily.

"When I was talking to him the other day, he asked me to give this back to you." His monotone voice changed slightly into concern and she could tell. Gradually, she got herself up and looked back at her dad with red eyes. She didn't know what Akito could possibly be giving back to her, she hadn't ever given him something worth keeping. Gaara held up the bracelet and she went wide eyed.

"Is that?" she gasped, snatching the small token from her father.

"That silly friendship bracelet you made him when you were little? Yes. I know, I think it's creepy too." He nodded, letting out a deep sigh as he crossed his arms.

But she was ignoring him now. Staring at the old thread she had used, she ran her finger along the pattern and then examined the blue threads joining with the pink ones. He had wanted to wear it still and learned how to weave the threads. She touched the small hour glass charm and then let her fingers play with the Uchiha crest that was now a part of the intricate ties. "Natsumi." Gaara cleared his throat, finally getting his daughter's attention.

She stared at him, tears already forming in her eyes as she held the bracelet tightly. "Yes?"

"Sometimes the heart does things for reasons that even reason does not understand." He told her and leaned forward, kissing her forehead lovingly. "You are my precious gift and it pains me to see you in agony. Just remember what's important to you." He said, getting up. It was time to go get Akito. He left her room then and she felt him vanish from the house. She stared down at the little thing she had given him so long ago. Her heart was overjoyed and yet hurt at the same time. He had kept it all these years and probably never taken it off. She touched the area over her heart and could feel its erratic beating, it hurt to think of Akito. He had betrayed her, not only had he betrayed her, but he threw her love for him right back in her face. She shut her eyes tightly, trying not to cry, but nothing could stop these tears. She began to sob into her hands, wetting the bracelet.

* * *

Gaara walked down into the dark depths of the cells and slammed his hand on the bars, waking up the sleeping Uchiha. "Get up. It's time to go."

Akito stood wordlessly and followed the redhead out of the tower. There was a huge crowd surrounding the platform that would be used for his execution. They walked up the stairs, and Akito stopped before the block that he was to lay his head on.

Once he was in position, the redhead left the platform and joined his wife, who looked more than pleased. Satomi had a huge smirk plastered on her beautiful face. "What a happy day. I guess dreams _do_ come true." She told her mother.

"If that's what you dream about you have serious problems. Like, psychotic ones." Shuhei said, sitting next to Yuki.

The younger redhead just rolled her eyes, "Satomi doesn't like Akito cause' he steals away all Natsumi's love."

"But we don't have to deal with that anymore." The eldest daughter said proudly, "Natsumi hates him with all her shattered heart and he's about to die."

"God, Satomi will you just shut up." Toshiro glared at his younger sister, daring her to say another word.

"No wonder she gives Akito-nii-san all her love. You're just bitter. And mean." The young blonde said.

Gaara watched closely as the executioner took hold of a big axe and lifted it high in the air. "Now," the man began. "For crimes against Suna, in the attempted assassination of our Lord Kazekage, Uchiha Akito is condemned to death!" with another arch the axe moved downwards.

Suddenly a blur of pink flashed across the platform. Her sand wrapped around the man daring to kill Akito and threw him off, slamming him into a wall. Confused by what was happening, the guards on duty attacked, before realizing it was the sand princess. She took them out easily, kicking them off the stage and into the spectators. She turned to Akito, a glare set in place and then her sand wrapped around them, forming a small dome so only they were inside. It was pitch black, but she could feel Akito's shock and almost imagine the look on his face. "What are you doing?" She seethed.

"Preparing to die." he said in a monotone, hiding his shock at having her there. He wanted to activate his sharingan so that he could see her better, but figured it would be best to just wait for his eyes to adjust, which they were already doing. "What are you doing?"

"What all of a sudden you're a liar now? I thought you said your life was mine to do with whatever I pleased." She said shortly, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She was trying to sound strong, but she felt weak around him. He had hurt her so much and she didn't know why he would do something that awful to her. She had thought…well obviously she was mistaken in his feelings for her.

"I didn't lie." He said, angry that she would doubt him. But then again, after everything he didn't blame her. "If you do not wish for me to die, then I won't."

"I never said I wanted you to die!" she yelled, then pulling herself back. "I don't want you to die…I just…I don't know. Nothing makes sense to me anymore and I just don't understand why you did it. You tried to kill my brother. I thought he was your best friend and you tried to kill him…and you even told me you were going to do it." She started to cry now, remembering how serious he had been on their last night. "I don't understand," she sobbed, crying into her hands. "I thought…that maybe...when you were so upset that night that if you knew…if I finally told you that I loved you, you would no longer be like that. There was something so wrong with you and I knew something bad was going to happen…" she couldn't continue with her words anymore, since they were lost in her weeping. She sank to her knees, glad he couldn't see her through the darkness.

He wanted more than anything to go and comfort her. But knew that he couldn't. It was breaking his heart to hear her sobs. And they were all caused because of him. "When you told me that you loved me…I wasn't sure what to think or feel, so I left, because there was something that I thought I needed to do. I…didn't mean to hurt you. And I understand if you never forgive me. But…when I was in that cell I realized what I should have said when you told me you loved me." He said, the regret he'd been hiding finally showing through his voice.

She looked up slowly, towards the direction of his voice. "What?"

"I…I love you. I've loved you since the day we met, but it took me until a few days ago to really realize it." He admitted, anxiously awaiting her reaction. He hoped Toshiro was right about love, otherwise he wasn't sure what he would do.

It was as if the world had stopped and her heart had ceased its beating. A few days ago that admission would have meant everything to her. But now it only made her angry. She reached forward and grabbed his face with her hands, yelling through her tears. "Then why would you do something like that to me?!"

He stared into her face, surprised. "I thought Toshiro was treating Minako badly. And I knew that if I didn't put a stop to it she would completely change who she was to make him happy. And I wasn't going to let that happen. I swore when I was younger that I would kill him if he ever made her cry again. Minako has been one of the only people in my life that ever showed me love, no matter what. I felt that it was my turn to repay her. But when it all came down to it, I couldn't kill Toshiro, because he's my best friend. It wasn't until after I had fired the lightning that I realized my mistake." He admitted. He hated having to tell her about his mistake, because it made him feel like such an idiot. Which he was.

"Do you have _any_ idea how hypocritical that sounds?!" she glared at him harshly, "It's impossible to keep someone happy at all time! To try and kill someone because of that is stupid!"

"I know that." He said, glaring at her lightly. "When I think about it now I don't know why I did it. It was as if something inside of me broke free and took control, while I had to watch it all happen."

She remained silent then, not moving her hands from his face until she reached into her kunai pouch and pulled something out. "I made this for you…I don't want it back…because as long as you wear it we might have a chance at being friends again."

He looked down and his eyes widened when he saw the bracelet. "Alright." He said. He took it from her and removed the glove on his right wrist. As he put the bracelet back on a huge wave of sadness overcame him. She had said they might be friends again. Which meant that she didn't care about his confession. He supposed this must have been what it felt like when he had left her, but and that knowledge only made it hurt worse. He had singlehandedly destroyed his only chance at happiness.

Sensing the reason for his sadness, she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. Now he could feel her uneven breathing, "I'm sorry…I can't…I just can't forgive you, and I can't allow myself to love you."

He looked into her eyes then, his sadness reflecting in the green depths. "I understand, trust me. But I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what."

She pressed her lips together and pulled away from him. It was hurting too badly to be near him now. She stood up, and as she did the sand dome around them collapsed and a burst of sunlight shown in his eyes. Natsumi turned out to the crowd and stood straight, her face nothing but seriousness. "As Kazekage-sama's second in command, I override this execution immediately and anyone who disagrees can come say it to my face and just wait and see what happens." She threatened, locking eyes with her twin's angry glare.

"I second it." Gaara said loudly, so that there would be no opposition from the counsel.

"And I approve it." Toshiro announced, "As the Kazekage."

"Man! The one time I want someone to die and it doesn't happen! It's not fair." Sakura pouted, crossing her arms.

They all stared at her, except for Satomi, who looked equally disappointed. "What is wrong with you?" Gaara asked, crossing his arms and giving her a demanding look.

"What are you talking about what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?!" she asked, glaring at him. "I thought you didn't like Akito!"

"We bonded, you psychopath. We connected on a far deeper level than you will understand." He huffed and crossed his arms, leaning over her, showing her who had the higher power. Literally.

She stood in order to be closer to his height, even though he still towered over her. "How dare you call me a psychopath you psychopath! And I could so understand your bond! I'm from Konoha, and we're all about bonds there!"

"But you're a _woman_, you understand nothing about manly bonds." He smirked, knowing he still had the upper hand. "And you know how we can see the real crazy one? Is the fact Natsumi takes after you, and she's insane."

"Hey! I'll show you insane! Why don't you come up here and say that to my face dad?!" the younger twin yelled, and crossed her arms angrily.

"See," Gaara gestured towards the girl. "Point proven."

Sakura lunged at him with a screech. "How dare you call my baby insane you manic depressant!"

She hit his sand wall with a painful smack. "I'm just saying Sakura, the kettle shouldn't call the pot black." He smirked, turning away from her. "Come on Toshiro, Akito." He gestured for the two.

Akito stared at the older man oddly, wondering what he wanted. Toshiro walked up to the stage and smiled. "Well you're still going to be my best man right? We have to go get our suits fitted."

"Fine. But just so you know, you were wrong." He said, turning away from his friend and following Gaara.

"Wrong?" he blinked and followed after him. "What do you mean?"

"She will not allow herself to forgive or love me. It's over." He replied, staring straight ahead.

Toshiro rolled his eyes and placed an arm around his friend. "Man it's all a game of patience. Just ride it out, she's Minako's maid of honor. This means you get to escort her in a beautiful dress, up and down the aisle and you get to dance with her at the wedding. You have plenty of chances to remind her how sexily irresistible you are."

Akito grabbed his friend's hand and took his arm off of him, giving him a weird look. "Don't say things like that when you have your arm around me. It's just wrong." He said.

Suddenly a puff of smoke appeared and Kakashi was before them. "I knew it! You _are_ gay! Just like Gaara!" the elder Jounin said, pointing a finger at Toshiro.

Gaara hit Kakashi over the head as hard as he could, "You moron! I'm not gay. I have four kids you disgusting single old man."

"I'm not gay either!" Toshiro glared. "I'm marrying Minako and we've already been naked together." He said proudly, crossing his arms in his own defense.

"I'm not single, I have Anko. And the four kids is just an elaborate cover up. And you," he said pointing at Toshiro. "Are going to die."

Akito rolled his eyes. "Shut up Kakashi-sensei. Minako started it alright? Now let's go." He said, resuming his walk to the tuxedo shop.

Leaving Kakashi behind to plan his attack on the young Kazekage, the three left. When they arrived at the shop they were fitted quickly and given instructions. It didn't take long for them to say their goodbyes and set a time to meet at the plaza where the wedding would take place. "See you tomorrow," Toshiro waved and left the Uchiha, alongside his father. When the two redheads were out of sight Akito just sighed. He knew that when he went back to his hotel room that night, Natsumi wouldn't come to him, and that fact made him sad.


	24. Ceremony

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Eighteen_

-Ceremony-

Minako looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Today was the day she was officially going to become Toshiro's wife. Hinata sighed as she looked at her. "You look beautiful sweetie." She said.

Minako looked over at her mother and smiled appreciatively. "Thank you Mama." Then she looked back at her reflection, wanting to memorize it. Her hair had been curled, and half of it was pinned back elegantly. Her dress had a sweetheart top, and the sleeves hung off her shoulders. The torso was tight, accentuating her curves, and flowed gracefully at the base. Around her neck was the hourglass necklace Toshiro had given her when they were children, and on her left hand she wore her engagement ring. Her borrowed item was Sakura's veil that she had worn at her wedding, the blue one was the garter on her right thigh, the old was the necklace that Toshiro had given her, and the new was her engagement ring. The veil was placed on her head with two clips that were shaped like butterflies.

"Is everyone ready?" Sakura asked, fixing the veil and then looking around at her daughters. They were the bridesmaids, and was each wearing elegant red dresses. Their dresses were floor length, and strapless. They were tight in the top, and cinched at the waist on the left side, flowing slightly at the bottom.

"You girls look beautiful." Sakura said, smiling at her daughters. She was glad Minako had chosen red as the color for their dresses. If it had been an ugly color she would've been angry.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Satomi said with a sigh. She still hadn't gotten over the fact Akito had been spared. Sakura and Hinata smiled and left the room to be seated by the ushers. Yuki followed after them, with Satomi on her heels. Natsumi looked back at Minako and gave her the best smile she could muster, but it still looked sad.

"Minako." She stepped towards her and brushed some hair from her face, before pulling the veil down. "You look so beautiful. Toshiro is lucky to have you as his wife. I'm glad you're going to be my sister."

Minako smiled at her friend. "Thank you Natsumi-chan. I'm glad too. And don't worry, these things have a way of working themselves out in the end." She said, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder reassuringly.

She gave her a blank stare, pretending not to know what she was talking about. Natsumi grabbed a large bouquet decorated with white calla lilies and red roses. She handed Minako the large bouquet and kept her own, which was decorated with the same flowers only white roses. "Let's go." She said, letting the bride out first and watching her train so it didn't catch on anything. Once they were out in the hallway they made their way to the double doors that lead into the large room filled with only the invited guests. Yuki went first, with Shuhei escorting her. He was beaming, it was his dream come true, but the young redhead's hair was done in a beautiful bun so the blonde couldn't get his hands on it.

Satomi stared horrified at who she was partnered to walk with. Ken took her arm gallantly and stole a glance over her shoulder at Natsumi, who looked sad. Before he could declare his will to finding out what was wrong, Satomi dragged him out, wanting this to be over with.

Natsumi felt her stomach drop as she stepped up, facing Akito. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. She took a deep breath, trying to ease her pounding, bleeding heart. Akito's breath left him when he saw how beautiful she looked. He held his arm out to her, and she took it hesitantly. It was killing him that she didn't even want to touch him, since she had never been reluctant before.

They made their way down the aisle, and he dropped her off at the front before heading over to his place beside Toshiro. After a slight pause Minako entered the room, locking eyes with Toshiro instantly, the look in his was pure love, like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. She was glowing with her happiness. He looked so handsome, and he was all hers.

* * *

They entered the ballroom when the wedding was over, and everyone broke out into applause. Minako smiled blissfully, her arms linked with Toshiro's. They made their way over to the table at the head of the room and took their seats.

Naruto stood then and cleared his throat, indicating that he was about to make a speech. "I would just like to say congratulations to my daughter and Toshiro. And as my present, I have a few words of wisdom. First," he said, raising a finger. "If you wish to survive this marriage, don't _ever_ touch my daughter." Naruto said, glaring threateningly at the young redhead. "I don't care if she took after Hinata-chan and has-" suddenly Naruto flew across the room and hit the wall, causing it to crack. Everyone looked over to see a seething Sakura.

"I will not allow you to ruin my son's wedding with your idiotic speech just as you did mine! So shut up if you want to make it through this night alive!" the pink haired medic yelled. The she straightened her dress and sat back down next to Gaara.

He looked over at her with a dark smirk. "Have I told you today how attractive you are when you're destroying people and being commanding." He smiled, pulling her chair closer to his and kissing her cheek.

She smiled and placed her hand on his leg, rubbing it. "No, but I bet it's about as attractive as you are when you're dominating me." She said, her smile turning into a devious one.

Natsumi shivered, noticing her parent's physical contact. She took her fork and tapped her glass loudly, clearing her throat. "Well…on a better note…" she trailed off, watching Naruto slowly get up from his fall. "I guess I would just like to say," she gave her brother and Minako a small smile. "I hope you two are happy for the rest of your lives. I'm glad you have one another, to protect each other and to love one another. Someone you can trust…that won't let you down." She couldn't help but look at Akito, who was sitting on the other side of her brother. "You two are perfect for one another." She raised her glass as did everyone else and took a sip and then swallowed all its contents. She sat down then and looked away from the couple and more so Akito.

Akito stood then and straightened his jacket. He raised his glass and looked at his friends. "I just want to say that I'm glad you two finally realized your feelings for one another. Because when you love someone…you want to be with them always. To have and to hold, no matter what faults they have, or mistakes they make." He said, glancing at Natsumi. "May your marriage be as prosperous as your parent's." he finished, sipping from his glass, as did everyone else.

The grip on her glass tightened greatly. Was he trying to make her feel worse than she already did? Toshiro looked between his best friend and his sister. He leaned over to Minako and laughed softly, whispering into her ear. "Are they attempting to jab at one another in their speeches?"

"I believe so." She whispered back. "It's pretty childish, but at least they're attempting to be civil to one another." She said, placing her hand over Toshiro's.

A loud shattering sound filled the area and Natsumi blinked, looking down at her hand that was now holding a broken glass. Blood dripped onto the tablecloth, it wasn't too much of a scene seeing as only the ones at the wedding party's table saw this. She placed the glass down and examined her badly cut hand. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Akito just stared straight at the crowd. She had jabbed him first so to speak. It's only expected that he reciprocate. That's how their relationship had always been, and always would be. He wouldn't feel guilty about it. She had hurt him first.

Suddenly, it was announced that Toshiro and Minako would share their first dance. The redhead got up and offered his hand to his beautiful bride. They made their way to the dance floor, starting a slow waltz, holding each other closely. Natsumi watched them as she healed her hand and wiped the blood off on her napkin. They looked so happy. Everything had changed so drastically. Now she was the depressed child and Toshiro was bubbling with love. Love that Akito had destroyed, set on fire, and then rubbed into the ground. She glanced over at the Uchiha to see what he was doing, it was customary in Suna for all the wedding party to dance after the bride and groom had.

Akito stood, holding in a sigh. Then he walked over to where Natsumi was sitting and held his hand out to her. The hand that just happened to be wearing the bracelet she had made. She didn't hide her gaze. She placed her hand in his without a moment's hesitation and mentally cursed for her eagerness. He led her out to the floor and waited until she set her hand on his shoulder and placed her other in his, to set his hand on her waist. They started to dance slowly, her body moving a bit closer to him than she would have liked, but she just couldn't help it.

Ken had already forcibly dragged Satomi out as well and was doing a complicated step that looked more like a square dance. Yuki had actually let her hair down for Shuhei and as they danced together he spun her around and ran his fingers through her long locks.

"You look beautiful." Akito said softly, looking down into Natsumi's eyes.

She blinked and couldn't help but blush. She really hated this whole repressing herself thing. "Thank you," she said softly, avoiding his gaze then. "You look very handsome as well."

Pain flashed through his dark green eyes when she avoided his gaze. He wished he could go back and fix everything, but knew that it was foolish to hope for such a thing. "Thank you." He said, before spinning her around the floor the way he had when they were younger, only more practiced, since he had taken lessons.

When he brought her back into his hold she was flat against him, staring up into his eyes. The music changed from the slow waltz to a fiery tango. She gripped his hand a bit more tightly and pressed into him. "You know what really makes me angry." She said, moving against him as they started the fast steps. "You act like I'm persecuting you for absolutely no good reason."

"Ch. You know what really makes me angry?" he mimicked, moving his feet skillfully to the music. "Is that you say things on purpose to make me feel worse than I already do."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have done bad things to begin with," she huffed, forming her body against his. It felt good to be so close to him, but it wracked pain through her chest thinking of what he had done to them. He spun her out and quickly drew her back in, and out of habit for the dance, she hiked her leg up on his.

He gripped her leg and pressed into her more. "Everyone does a bad thing at least once in their life that they regret afterwards. Like what you did to Minako at the Chuunin Exams. But I never blamed you. I treated you the same as I always had."

She went wide eyed and forced herself out of his grasp, hating the empty and cold feeling not touching him gave her. But it wasn't enough to make her go back. Her eyes began to water, as her hurt only spread through her body. Why was he trying to damage her further? She took a slow step back, quickly turning from him and rushing off, pushing through the crowd of dancers that now littered the floor. Gaara watched this and got up, heading after his crying daughter.

Akito just walked off the dance floor and sat back down in his seat, sulking. She had only walked away because she knew he was right. And he was. But in his need to prove himself right, he had hurt her feelings more and had made her cry. The worst part of it was that he couldn't even apologize and try to make her feel better, since she wouldn't want him to anyways.

Toshiro walked over to the table and sat down next to his friend, "What's up? I thought you two looked like you were getting along pretty nicely."

Akito snorted. "Yeah, until she opened her fat mouth and accused me of making her feel worse on purpose. As if. She started the whole thing." He complained, beginning to fiddle with his knife. Maybe if he just stabbed something repeatedly he would feel better. Maybe.

The redhead slowly took the knife and set it far away and out of Akito's grasp. "Dude…shut up. You're not a victim, you both are trying to play the guilt card and it's not working. That and your little depressing parade are freaking me and Minako out. I'm used to you being all over Natsumi and vice versa. So suck up your damn pride and stop acting like a child. You're twenty years old. And you can bet your ass I'm going to tell her the same thing, because this is stupid. I don't care if you two never make up, just stop trying to take each other down." He glared, getting up and hitting his friend over the head. "Now behave or you'll upset Minako." And with that he left, joining his wife back on the dance floor and giving her a loving kiss.

Akito just crossed his arms, opting to pout. He knew that his friend was right, but that didn't mean he had to do anything about it…yet. He glanced over at the door Natsumi had left through and wondered idly if she was okay. He hoped that she wasn't crying too hard. Her makeup would get ruined, and then she would just be even more upset.

Minako smiled tenderly up at her new husband. "I love you." She said in a sigh, moving with him to the music.

"I love you too," he leaned down closing the distance and kissing her sweetly. They danced slowly, attracting everyone's eye with their slow and practiced steps. Finally it was time to cut the cake and as was tradition they fed each other, Toshiro purposely getting frosting on his sweet wife's nose, just so he could lick it off. After more socializing and pictures, the redhead pulled Minako close to him and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I think we should go back home and just have the presents delivered."

"I couldn't agree more." She said, giggling. "We need to do the bouquet and garter toss first though."

He groaned loudly and let her pull from his grasp. "Just make it fast."

She went up onto a platform and waited for the crowd of girls to get ready. Then she turned and threw her bouquet over her shoulders without looking. There was a collective gasp, so Minako turned to see who had caught it. It was none other than Sabaku no Yuki.

"Awesome Yuki-chan! This means our marriage is meant to be!" Shuhei yelled, running up and hugging her.

The girl glared at him, trying to break free from his grasp. "Stop touching me weirdo!" she yelled, shoving him off. "God you are such a stalker!" she huffed and hit him in the face with the bouquet.

Toshiro came up beside Minako and kneeled down, lifting her dress up modestly. He reached up and grabbed the garter fastened around her thigh. Once he pulled it off he held it up proudly and watched as all the young men of Suna and a few from Konoha gathered around Akito, who then looked around in alarm. The redhead pulled back the elastic on his finger and flung it into the crowd.

Not wanting to be outdone by these idiots, Akito leapt into the air and caught it. Everyone cheered when he landed, especially some of the girls. He looked up, dumbfounded, and couldn't help but lock eyes with Natsumi, who had just reentered the room. Her eyes met his and then lowered to what was in his hands.

Gaara placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder, breaking their brief eye contact. She looked up at her father who was telling her something. She nodded and moved away from him, heading towards the wedding party table. She smiled at Minako and said something to her, probably congratulating her on being wed.

Minako turned to Toshiro then. "Ready to go?" she asked, smiling.

"Always." He snickered.

"Have fun you two." Natsumi actually giggled, walking off to leave them be.

The newlyweds stood close together and disappeared in a quick swirl of sand, reappearing in their bedroom. Minako looked over towards the bed and saw the red rose petals scattered over the white comforter.

"Wow Shiro-kun! It's so pretty!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together and ogling the bed.

"I'm glad you like it." He smirked and gave her a suggestive look. "So…how are your…waffle making skills." He arched a brow, crossing his arms.

She stared at him, not comprehending what he said. Understanding dawned on her then, and she smiled shyly. "Well…I guess you'll just have to find out…won't you?" she asked, her face turning a light shade of pink.

She could see the excitement lighting up his face. He started to unbutton his jacket and tossed it to the floor, a gesture that was never seen. "I guess we will." He said, undoing his cuff buttons and the top few of his white dress shirt.

Minako's blush darkened and she reached up to undo the tie that was keeping her hair back. She shook her head, allowing for all of the curls to fall loosely down her back. Then she reached behind her back and unzipped her dress, causing it to fall to the floor. She stepped out of it, and was now left in her strapless bra and underwear.

He didn't hide his lustful gaze, she had a beautiful body and it was absolutely flawless. Finally he pulled off his shirt and let it fall to the side. He undid the clasp on his pants and let them drop as well, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

She watched him, staring openly at his body. While it wasn't the first time she had seen his chest, it never ceased to amaze her in how defined it was. Then she ran at him, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. She kissed him passionately, and they fell onto the bed.

The rest of their night was filled with them getting to know each other in more intimate ways than one. And by the sound of it, this marriage was going to work out nicely.


	25. Goodbye

**Aftershock**

_Chapter Nineteen_

-Goodbye-

Akito sighed as he folded his clothes and put them neatly in his pack. He didn't really want to leave, but at the same time he did. If he left he wouldn't have to be around Toshiro, Natsumi, and Minako, and feel the weight of his mistake. But if he left he wouldn't get to be around his two best friends or his love. Though he supposed being separated from her was for the best. Then they would get to have time apart to think about everything.

When he finished packing his things, he ran across some of Natsumi's clothes. She hadn't been to sleep with him since he had returned, and he didn't blame her. But he missed falling asleep with her in his arms and waking up seeing her beautiful face. He picked up her clothes and began to fold them. He would have to return them to her before he left. Suddenly the door to his room opened and Natsumi walked in. He paused in folding her clothes and looked at her, embarrassed at having been caught in doing something nice.

She stopped in the hallway and stared at him, then down at her clothes. "Sorry…I was just coming to get those…" she said, now more hesitant than her previous demeanor.

"Yeah, I was just…folding them for you…" he said, feeling completely awkward.

"That's okay I can just take them." She moved forward, standing surprisingly close to him and holding out her hands for them.

He looked down at her hands, and then back up at her. He slowly handed over her clothes, and turned away from her to pick up his pack. Turning back to face her he asked, "So do you want to walk to the gate with me?"

She rolled up her pajamas and fit them into her empty kunai holster. They were pretty skimpy after all. "Yeah sure." She looked up at him, feeling the same pain she had for the last few days. They left the hotel room and returned the keys, getting a suspicious look from the owner. They walked in silence, side by side, it was so awkward between the two now. Natsumi felt their hands brush on accident and tried to hide the sharp intake of breath. She looked away from him and slowly began to lace her fingers with his. She wanted so much to forgive him…but she just couldn't. Before they could fully hold hands she pulled hers away and held it close to her chest. "I'm sorry." She mumbled sadly, trying so hard to stop herself from crying.

"You don't have anything to apologize for." He said, looking down at the ground. "Out of the two of us I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am."

There was no more dialogue after that. They reached the gate and saw the rest of her family, as well as Naruto, Hinata, Shuhei, and Kakashi. The group actually looked pretty shocked to see the two together and not fighting or arguing.

"I'm going to miss you so much Yuki-chan." Shuhei said, hugging her tightly.

"Why do you always hug me?" the young redhead asked angrily, already having given up trying to get him off her.

"Because, on the off chance that you hug me back, it's the only way you show me affection." He replied, pulling away from her.

She stared at him oddly and then her expression softened. She slowly adjusted herself and wrapped her arms around the blonde in his first hug from her. "I guess I'll miss you too."

He hugged her again, laying his head on hers in the process. Naruto looked at them and smiled. Then he nudged his friend. "Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey Gaara."

Gaara's murderous glare focused on the older blonde. "Get. Out. Of. My. Village."

"What?! That is so mean. You totally know you're going to miss me." Naruto answered, gripping the redhead in a fierce hug.

"Get out before I kill you…and take mini me with you." He seethed, moving away from his friend and hiding behind Sakura, using her as a barrier.

"Whatever. Fun-sucker." He said, walking over to his daughter. "I'm gonna miss you sweetie." He said, hugging her.

"I'll miss you too Daddy." She said, returning his embrace. When they pulled away Naruto turned to Toshiro and held his hand out to him. "Take good care of my daughter."

"I will sir, I promise. She means the world to me." He said truthfully, taking the Hokage's hand in a firm grip.

Hinata walked up then and hugged her daughter. "Bye dear. Don't forget to write often." She said.

"I will Mama." She said, pulling away from her mother and trying not to cry.

"Take care Toshiro-sama." Hinata said, smiling at her son-in-law.

He nodded and bowed respectfully to her. Each of the sand siblings did the same to the couple, wishing them a safe journey. Natsumi looked at Akito and couldn't tell if the ache in her heart was from her pain…or something else.

He looked at her and searched her face, trying to gauge how far he could go. He would normally kiss her cheek or something, but knew that it wouldn't be appreciated. Instead he brought his hand up and stroked her cheek tenderly before bringing it back down. "Bye squirt. I'll see you around I guess."

She stared at him, wide eyed. The silly nickname he had given her was only making it worse. Suddenly, Satomi was between the two and glaring at the Uchiha. "Let's hope it's not any time soon Uchiha. I'd rather not have to see my sister's hurt face. After all the crap you did to her."

"Satomi!" Natsumi stared in shock, grabbing onto her sister's arm. "Stop."

"What? It's true. I don't know why you're pretending to not be affected at how much being around him hurts your heart." She looked back at her sister.

"Satomi!" this time it was a darker voice. Gaara locked eyes with his eldest daughter. "Get over here. Now." He seethed, pointing to the ground beside him. Hesitantly she moved from her spot, but not before giving Akito a hateful look.

Akito's eyes had widened when he saw the truth in her words. His presence _was_ hurting Natsumi. He straightened then and nodded at her. "Natsumi." He said, before walking away to join the Uzumakis.

"Wait, Akito." Natsumi stepped forward, making him turn to face her. "Just…be safe."

He nodded once more. "I will not die until you wish it." He said, turning away from her then and continuing on his way.

She watched him leave, her emotions overwhelming her. She didn't want him to leave. But she couldn't stand to be around him. Gaara was behind her then, has hand on her shoulder. "Come on Natsumi," he said softly, leading her back to their family once the Konoha shinobi were gone.

"Dad…" she began, looking up at him. He didn't reply with words, but his gaze was questioning. "I want to join Anbu."

His eyes widened a fraction but his stoic expression was soon back. "Alright. I will begin the process immediately."

The pink haired woman looked back out the gates and then ahead at the people in Suna who would never harm her. The people who loved her. She sighed, slowly, she was becoming her sister. Detaching herself from emotions so that the pain of his betrayal wouldn't kill her.

Minako sighed and looked up at Toshiro. "It's gonna be quieter with my family gone." She said. She would miss them, but was looking forward to staying in Suna. She loved it here, and had finally gotten used to the heat.

"Thank God." he sighed, wanting his normal life back. He placed his hand on the small of her back and left with the rest of their family to begin their new life.

**THE END**

**COMING SOON:**

**TEMPEST**

In a Tempest of emotions, will two former lovers be able to overcome their past and make a better future?


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